chapter 7

Chapter 7:

–Valerie–

I told Rose about the Hellsing organization and shared some painful chapters from the beginning of my life. As I spoke, I watched her expression shift from curiosity to sadness. When I finished, she surprised me by pulling me into a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured softly. "It sounds like you've been through hell."

I managed a weak smile, appreciating her comfort. "Thanks, Rose."

Unfortunately, our moment was cut short when the doors at the back of the bank swung open, making me tense instinctively. I half-expected a mob of angry goblins, but instead, only three small figures emerged–all of them were unarmed and dressed in tidy little banker suits. The goblins glanced nervously around the lobby, their wide eyes darting between the bodies on the floor and Griphook's corpse—the source of the chaos. 

The goblin in the center took a cautious step forward and addressed us with a deep bow. "Lady Potter and Lady… Tepes. Please forgive Gringotts for what has transpired today..." His voice trembled, and it was clear he was terrified I might shoot him next.

The thought crossed my mind for a second, but I wasn't a psycho who killed for no reason. 

That didn't mean I wasn't still furious though...

I crossed my arms and glared at the three goblins. "Why should I? I came here to buy information, paid an obscene price, and one of your own sold Rose and me out to the Death Eaters!"

…Technically, he only sold Rose out, but it was the principle of the matter.

The lead goblin gulped, his eyes flickering nervously to Griphook's body before continuing, "Yes… we sincerely apologize. Griphook has been a problem for years. We suspected he's been stealing from clients' vaults for a while."

My eye twitched in irritation. If they knew he was trouble, why hadn't they dealt with him?

Rose's eyes widened in concern as she spoke up, "Wait! He was in charge of my vault. Was he stealing from me?"

The goblin straightened, attempting to regain composure despite the tension in the air. "We'll need to check our records thoroughly, but if he was, we will return or reimburse all assets, Lady Potter." He introduced himself as Brunak, vice manager of Gringotts' London branch. His earnest expression made it clear he genuinely wanted to set things right.

We left the bank to track down my new father, Alucard. It had been over twenty minutes since he chased Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange out of the building. Either he'd caught them by now, or they'd escaped. I hoped it wasn't the latter, but sometimes Alucard got a little too excited when hunting, and mistakes happened.

As we stepped into the alley, I noticed it was less deserted than before. A group of official-looking witches and wizards stood gathered on the bank steps, all dressed in matching robes. Among them was an older blonde witch with a monocle and an impressive chest, striding toward us with purpose.

"Rose Potter?" she asked curiously. "I'm Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

I immediately sensed she was no-nonsense, someone who had little patience for anything but the facts.

"I remember you," Rose responded, bitterness lacing her voice. "You tried to throw me into Azkaban on trumped-up charges after Umbridge sent dementors after me two summers ago."

Madam Bones looked uncomfortable but nodded. "Yes… that was a miscarriage of justice. I apologize for that. I came to check if you're alright."

"I'm fine," Rose replied, although her voice wavered slightly. "Some Death Eaters tried to capture me, but they were dealt with. There are a lot of bodies inside, though." She glanced at me nervously.

Madam Bones shifted her attention to me. "And who are you supposed to be? I wasn't aware the Girl-Who-Lived was running around with vampires. I assume the bodies are your doing, vampire?"

I crossed my arms defiantly. "My name is none of your business," I said flatly. "And I don't need to answer your questions, considering I don't recognize your government as legitimate right now."

Her expression morphed from confusion to disbelief, and I couldn't help but smirk at her reaction.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she snapped. "Of course the Ministry of Magic is legitimate!"

"Uh-huh, sure," I scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "They're doing a great job running the magical community." I gestured around Diagon Alley, now practically a ghost town. The only business open was Gringotts, and even they had to post guards outside—though not very effective ones. "If your government can't even protect the only magical shopping district in the country, then it might as well not exist."

I heard snickering behind Madam Bones. An older punk girl with pink hair stepped forward, grinning playfully at us. "The cute vampire girl makes a fair point, boss," she said, winking at me before turning back to Madam Bones. "You know, I haven't been paid in three weeks. I'm starting to think the Ministry's gone bankrupt…"

"Tonks, please!" Madam Bones exclaimed in exasperation. "This is not the time for jokes."

Tonks shrugged. "Not joking, boss... When's the last time you got paid?"

Amelia took a deep breath, clearly trying to keep her temper in check. "We received emergency reports of a Death Eater attack on Gringotts. Given the severity of the situation, we came to secure the area and ensure the safety of our citizens."

I tilted my head slightly. "Well, you're a bit late, don't you think? We've already handled it."

"Clearly..." she replied with a sigh. "Normally, I don't condone blatant murder, but at this point, there's literally no one left to even punish you." She gestured behind her and Tonks. "I hate to admit it, but you're probably right, vampire. The six of us are the last Aurors left working at the Ministry. Everyone else has either quit or fled the country."

Only six Aurors left in the entire country? That was... pitiful. It pretty much proved my point about the magical government being as good as gone.

I suddenly yelped when I felt a hand suddenly on my shoulder. I spun around to find Alucard grinning at me. First, he hides in my shadow all day, and now he's sneaking up on me for fun. I pouted and stamped down on his foot as hard as I could to get back at him!

"I'm back, daughter," Alucard announced, the only sign of his pain was a slight twitch of his lips. 

He wasn't alone. One of the captured Death Eaters, Lucius Malfoy, was slung under his arm—covered in blood, groaning, and missing his right leg, severed clean at the knee. Blood dripped from the poorly patched wound onto the cobblestone.

"What the hell is that supposed to be?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I see you've noticed 'Stumpy' here," Alucard said with a dark chuckle, clearly amused by Lucius's gruesome state. "The woman managed to escape, so I made sure he couldn't do the same. Care to heal him, daughter, before he bleeds out?"

I glanced at the pool of blood beneath Lucius, then at the group of Aurors with their wands raised. "I'll heal him later," I whispered, eyes flicking toward the onlookers. "When we don't have so many eyes on us." 

I wasn't about to go flaunting the Holy Grail in front of strangers, and I hadn't even told Rose about it.

The Aurors, aside from Tonks and Madam Bones, were visibly terrified by Alucard's sudden arrival. A few pointed their wands at him, but their faces betrayed their fear. None of them looked brave enough to actually cast a spell.

Alucard, of course, found their fear thoroughly entertaining. His grin widened as he took a step closer to them.

"Stay back, monster!"

"Don't mess with us!"

"How are you walking around during the day, bloodsucker!?"

"Oh, I didn't realize the fun police had arrived," Alucard said, his eyes gleaming dangerously.

I snickered despite the tension. "Not quite. These are the actual police... well, magical police, at least."

Alucard gave them a long, appraising look, his grin never faltering. One of the Aurors trembled so badly that a wet spot formed on the front of his robes. The stench of urine hit the air, and I wrinkled my nose in disgust. Another Auror turned and bolted down the alley, screaming at the top of his lungs, "I quit! I didn't sign up for this!"

Madam Bones pinched the bridge of her nose and muttered something under her breath before glancing at the humiliated Auror. "Go clean yourself up at Tom's pub," she ordered, sounding utterly exhausted. The Auror scurried off, head hanging in shame.

With a deep sigh, Madam Bones turned back to us. "Well, thanks for that. Now there are only five Aurors left in all of magical Britain." Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

Alucard gave her a cheeky grin, followed by an exaggerated bow. "It was my pleasure, Magical Police Woman. I am Alucard. I see you've already met my daughter."

"Your daughter has been difficult," Madam Bones huffed. "She won't tell me anything about herself. Are you going to be just as difficult, or will you actually answer my questions?"

Alucard leaned in closer, his grin widening. "Oh, aren't you a forward one? If you wanted to get to know me so badly, all you had to do was ask. I haven't been with a woman in over twenty years. Why don't we go somewhere quiet and... get acquainted all night long?"

Madam Bones's face turned bright red. "W–What...?"

I couldn't help but snicker, and both Rose and Tonks were stifling laughter.

"What do you say? Want to get out of here?" Alucard teased again.

"You know what? I don't even care anymore!" Madam Bones declared, throwing her hands up. She turned to the three remaining Aurors and barked, "Get into the bank and secure the Death Eater corpses!" She shot Alucard one last flustered look before stalking off after her men.

"Smooth, Dad," I said, shaking my head.

"Hehe, I've still got it," Alucard chuckled.

"I don't think I've ever seen my boss so flustered before," Tonks added, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. "Hello again, everyone. I'm Tonks, one of the last remaining Aurors in this dinky little country." Her grin faded as the reality of that statement set in.

Rose tilted her head curiously at Tonks. "Weren't you part of the Order of the Phoenix?"

Tonks sighed. "The Order's gone, officially defunct after Dumbledore's death. The older members were too busy squabbling for power to actually plan how to fight back against the Death Eaters." She rolled her eyes. "I tried to do something productive, so I begged Madam Bones to let me rejoin the Aurors. In hindsight, maybe not the best move. I didn't realize just how boned the Ministry is. Voldemort could stroll into the main lobby tomorrow, and there'd be no one to stop him. His Death Eaters probably already control the Wizengamot because the DMLE can't even hire new Aurors anymore." Her shoulders slumped.

It sounded like she'd been through a lot of pointless drama recently. "Want to quit your job and come work for Hellsing?" I asked casually, unsure of how she'd react. "We have benefits."

Tonks raised an eyebrow. "What is a Hellsing? And what kind of benefits are we talking about?"

I nodded toward Rose. "Why don't you explain?"

Rose grinned and launched into the same explanation I'd given her earlier. By the time she finished, Tonks was staring at me with the same shocked expression Rose had worn before. "Voldemort and his Death Eaters are going to be screwed when they face a fully trained Hellsing army!" Rose was practically bouncing with excitement.

Tonks looked intrigued, but before she could respond, Rose turned to me, eyes pleading. "Can I join Hellsing too, Valerie?"

"Don't you have one more year left of school?"

Rose crossed her arms. "What's the point of going back to Hogwarts if the Death Eaters are about to take over? I doubt anyone outside the Ministry even realizes how close everything is to falling apart."

"I didn't know either," Tonks added with a sigh. "I probably wouldn't have rejoined the Aurors if I did…" After a beat of silence, she smirked at me. "Anyway, I accept your offer, Valerie! Take me to our new boss. Is she nice?"

Alucard chuckled beside us. "Hehehe… no. Integra's a real slave driver."

I smiled, shaking my head. "She's only like that with you because you annoy her constantly." It was true—there hadn't been a single day in that mansion without Integra screaming at Alucard at least once.

"I can't help it. She's too fun to tease," Alucard said with a shrug. He hefted Lucius Malfoy's unconscious body over his shoulder, and with our group ready, we made our way back to Tom's Pub to leave Diagon Alley.

On the way, I asked Tonks if she wanted to inform Madam Bones about her very sudden resignation, but she waved me off. "The old lady will figure it out from my absence," she said. "Maybe she'll wise up and finally flee the country with her niece."

As soon as we stepped into Tom's diner, the worst smell of my life once again assaulted my senses. It was like the scent had been specifically designed to make me hate it. I gagged, pinching my nose shut with two fingers as my eyes watered.

Alucard dropped the groaning body of Lucius Malfoy onto the ground once again. He wrinkled his own nose, confirming that I wasn't just imagining the foul stench.

"Is something wrong, Valerie?" Rose asked, concerned.

I glanced around the dingy pub, still holding my nose. "The stinky man is back!" I groaned, stomping my foot in frustration. "I thought I was rid of him!"

"Stinky man?" Rose tilted her head.

Before I could explain, a voice called out from nearby. 

"Rose!" A man sprinted toward us, relief on his face. "Thank goodness you're okay! We were worried when you disappeared."

It was the same man from the bus earlier, and judging by his reaction, he and Rose knew each other. But when he noticed me and Alucard standing beside her, his demeanor shifted. He growled at us…literally. "You're the rude girl from the bus earlier! How did I not see it before!? You're a bloody vampire! Get away from Rose, you monster!"

Alucard's usual amused facade vanished in an instant. "It takes a monster to know a monster… werewolf." His voice was cold. "My daughter finally made her first friend. It would be rude to separate them, so why don't you buzz off and take a flea bath? Your stench is unbearable." 

I finally realized what the foul stench was. In our study sessions, Alucard had told me that werewolves smelled particularly awful to vampires and that I would immediately know once I crossed paths with one, but I always assumed that he was exaggerating. Unfortunately, he was not…

Remus stiffened, his eyes flicking to Rose.

"You've got it all wrong, Remus," Rose said softly. "Valerie is actually really nice… and so is her dad."

I blinked in disbelief. Nice? Had she not just seen Alucard shoot down six Death Eaters and rip off Lucius Malfoy's leg? What part of that screamed "nice"?

Before I could speak, Tonks cut in, bitterness lacing her own voice. "Why are you even here, Remus? And thanks for noticing I'm here too!" she added sarcastically. "It's not like we dated for six months or anything…"

Remus barely glanced at her. "Hello, Tonks. I'm not here for you. I'm here for Rose. She needs to come back with me—Voldemort is after her!"

His raised voice sent the rest of the pub's patrons scrambling for the exit. 

Rose's eyes narrowed. "Oh, now the Order cares about me?" she snapped. "You all forgot I existed! You sent me back to the Dursleys, even though Voldemort has my blood. If those so-called blood wards ever worked, they definitely don't now."

Remus looked guilty, but Tonks wasn't about to let him off easy. "Yeah, Remus! If the Order really cared, why is she here with us instead of under your 'protection'?"

Remus sighed, frustrated. "We had to settle things first. Dumbledore had no will, and sorting out his estate took time—"

"You're kidding, right?" I muttered in disbelief.

Rose crossed her arms. "Voldemort's about to take over, and you're all squabbling over Dumbledore's belongings? You're nothing but bloody vultures!"

Remus stepped forward, bristling at her accusation, but before he could get closer, I placed myself between them and hissed, "Back off."

His hand moved toward his coat pocket, likely for his wand. I sighed. Why did wizards always reach for their wands the second they got upset? It was like pulling a gun without a second thought.

"I've had enough of you, vampire," Remus growled, his wand halfway out.

Before I could react, Tonks moved with surprising speed, her wand already out. "Stupefy!" A red beam flashed across the room, and Remus hit the ground with a heavy thud.

"Hmph!" Tonks huffed, sliding her wand back into its holster. She shook her head at Remus's unconscious body. "Should've known he was trouble. Can't believe I actually dated that guy..."

Alucard spoke up. "It was probably his werewolf pheromones," he explained. "Werewolves can release subtle pheromones when they're interested in a mate. Over time, it can influence the other person, make them more attracted to them." 

"Are you serious!?" Tonks' face flushed with indignation. She stomped over to where Remus lay and gave his unconscious body a few angry kicks. "Buggering asshole!" she spat. "How dare he take advantage of me like that!?"

Rose scowled, clearly on Tonks's side. "Screw him. I thought he was cool in my third year, but then he literally tried to eat me during a full moon. I've never felt safe around him after that." I had a feeling there was more to the story, but it didn't seem like Rose wanted to share anything else. 

I sighed. "Let's just get out of here before anyone else shows up."

With subtlety already out the window, I called for a Hellsing car to pick us up. Rose and Tonks sat up front, while Alucard and I slid into the back with Lucius. Begrudgingly, I summoned the Healing Grail from within my soul and poured a couple of drops of healing blood into his mouth—not enough to restore his leg, but enough to keep him alive for interrogation. After that, well… his fate was sealed.

–Narcissa Malfoy-Black–

Narcissa Malfoy had just settled into her favorite armchair with a glass of wine, fully absorbed in a trashy Muggle romance novel. She found the stories laughably predictable but strangely comforting—a guilty pleasure she'd never admit to anyone. Just as the heroine was about to confess her love for the brooding bad boy, the door to her private reading room burst open. Startled, Narcissa yelped and quickly shoved the book behind a silk pillow, her heart racing as her sister, Bellatrix Lestrange, stumbled in.

Bellatrix looked like she'd been through hell—her wild hair more tangled than usual, her face smeared with dirt and blood. Scratches lined her arms, and her once-elegant silk leggings were shredded beyond repair.

"Bellatrix!" Narcissa exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "What happened?"

Bellatrix, who had left barely an hour ago on some urgent Death Eater mission with Lucius, groaned as she collapsed into the chair across from Narcissa, ignoring the blood now staining the fine leather.

"We screwed up…" Bellatrix rasped hollowly. "I can already feel it… slipping away."

Narcissa's stomach dropped. "What do you mean? What's slipping away?" She moved closer, her brow furrowed with concern.

Bellatrix's eyes welled with tears—something Narcissa had rarely seen from her typically unshakable sister. "My magic, Cissy. It's leaving me. In a few hours… I'll be nothing."

Narcissa recoiled, horrified. For a pureblood witch, especially one from the Black family, losing magic was worse than death! "What did you do!?" she demanded.

Bellatrix let out a bitter laugh, more of a sob. "I broke our family's most sacred contract. The one Mother and Father always warned us about… but I didn't believe it was real! I thought it was just a legend."

Narcissa froze. There was only one contract Bellatrix could mean. "You went against him? You met him in person?" 

The ancient Black family was one of the most powerful magical lineages, not because of their strict pureblood policies as everyone thought, but because of an unholy pact made centuries ago. A long-dead ancestor had signed a binding contract with an infamous vampire—Dracula. The Black family was granted a portion of his power, passed down through their bloodline, in exchange for an eternal vow never to oppose him or his descendants. 

And Bellatrix had broken it.

Narcissa took a few steps backwards and sank into her chair, trying to comprehend the enormity of her sister's mistake. "What exactly did you do?" she asked again.

Bellatrix swallowed hard, whispering, "I was so close to capturing Rose Potter for the Dark Lord. But… she wasn't alone. I didn't realize until it was too late—she's friends with Dracula's daughter. And… I was stupid, Cissy. I tried to kill Dracula. I cast the Killing Curse on him."

Narcissa's eyes widened in shock. "What!?"

Bellatrix nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Now I'm paying the price…"

Narcissa's blood ran cold. The consequences wouldn't stop with Bellatrix. The entire family was bound by the contract. First, Bellatrix's magic would fade, then Narcissa's, and next, Draco's. If the contract still considered their estranged sister Andromeda a Black, she and her daughter Nymphadora might be affected too. Narcissa's mind raced. Their family carried Dracula's power in their blood—Nymphadora's Metamorphmagus abilities were proof of that ancient pact.

"What about my husband?" Narcissa whispered.

Bellatrix grimaced. "Sorry, sister. You're probably a widow now. If Lucius isn't dead already, he will be soon. And if he's not… he'll wish he was."

Narcissa should have been devastated, but instead, all she felt was a cold sense of relief. Lucius had been a pompous fool, more concerned with his own image than the well-being of their family.

And he was a terrible lover…

The worst part was their marriage contract had forbidden her from seeking satisfaction elsewhere. Over the years, she had grown deeply unhappy. "...Well," she said dryly, "that's unfortunate. But we have bigger problems now." She took a deep breath. "We need to find Dracula immediately and beg for his mercy. If we don't, the Black family is finished. Our ancestors will curse us from beyond the grave, and we'll be nothing but useless Muggles."

Bellatrix let out a shaky breath, her face ashen. "I know. We have to grovel before him. It makes me sick, but if we don't, we'll lose everything."

Narcissa nodded, steeling herself. It wasn't just their magic at stake—it was their legacy, their entire bloodline. "Do you know where he is?"

Bellatrix nodded weakly. "I had one of the junior Death Eaters tail him. Once I know where he's staying, I'll kill the fool to cover our tracks, and then we'll go throw ourselves at Dracula's feet."

Narcissa sighed. Bellatrix's plans always left something to be desired, but at this point, they had no other choice. "Fine. We need to be fully prepared to humble ourselves…"

XXX