Important, Please Read: Don't skip the book excerpt at the end! I know it's long, and probably boring to some of you, but it contains vital information, including the answer to why Severus became a human-vampire in this reality. A million thanks to everyone that reviewed and PMed me, reader feedback is always welcome and appreciated.

A Chance at Life

Chapter 13: Some Bubbles and New Friends

March 9th

Harry Potter sighed and shifted from one foot to the other as he tried to conceal his exasperation. This meeting was not going as smoothly as he'd hoped and unfortunately, he was the main reason it was all going to hell in a hand basket.

"Honorable Luminary, please allow me to explain…" Harry began once again, trying to calm the leader of the centaurian council without offending anyone. Though both the alpha werewolf and the Luminary acted polite enough considering the circumstances, they were obviously ill at ease in each others presence; half an hour had already crawled by and they had barely been able to get past the initial introductions. Harry was only thankful that Charles and Kyle had listened to his request and had not taken out their wands, and that the Luminary had agreed to meet with them alone, instead of with the complete centaurian council as was customary. Well, as alone as one could be while in the middle of a small clearing surrounded by various centaur families less than sixty feet away, including Firenze's.

"Ally Potter, you have proven your worth beneath the stars and before our people. As you have protected our own, do you repudiate our right to protect you in return? Especially from those that we have witnessed approach you with violent intent? ...Do you truly expect us to allow such a threat to roam this forest…our land and our home, unchallenged?"

Kyle looked so bothered at that last question that Harry extended his aura soothingly to try and calm everyone before things got too out of hand. "I understand your position and I am proud to stand beside you as an equal…but please allow me to explain before you come to a final decision." He then looked at Charles and awaited his compliance before he began.

"First of all I would like to clear up the incident that took place two weeks ago. While it is true that Alpha Hooch acted somewhat violently towards me he didn't hurt me much and his hostility was only prompted when I was perceived as a threat to his son, Kyle."

"Your words imply that he had, at least initially, seen you as a non-threat; then why the sudden hostility afterward?" The Luminary inquired as he relaxed somewhat, though his face was still full of skepticism.

Harry shifted to a more comfortable stand as well and took a deep breath before he continued. The only thing he missed while amongst centaurs was the ability to sit. At least his companions' werewolf-strength lessened their discomfort as the meeting progressed, he wasn't as lucky. "As Kyle has already explained to me, when we first met in this very forest he came to believe that I was his chosen mate. Unfortunately, when he learned about my wife and stepson during our second meeting he reacted negatively, which caused his father, and alpha, to assault me believing I might have magically attacked his son in some obscure manner."

The Luminary then raised a hand in a halting gesture and was silent for a good ten minutes, thinking the explanation through before addressing the alpha. "You have not reached for your wand while here, moon-bound —"

Before the blond haired centaur could finish the question, Charles interrupted with a frown, "Moon-bound?"

"Yes….one of the many cursed to live under the domain of the moon: bound to its natural cycle. While Lycans are her children: stronger, faster, and happiest under its glow; werewolves are cursed beings, enslaved to it from the very moment of their creation."

"Harry?" Kyle asked, feeling offended and confused. Harry moved to stand close to him in sympathy and wrapped his aura around him soothingly before addressing Charles, who was starting to growl in anger.

"Alpha Charles…He speaks the truth, he is not trying to insult you."

Charles let out another rumbling grow from deep in his chest. "Explain!"

"Charles…you are lucky… more than you realize perhaps. You have grown up among Lycans, magical beings that embrace their inner wolf and their connection to the moon. Because of it you have grown up embracing your own wolf: you are the wolf and the wolf is you. Your acceptance diminishes the pain of your transformations. Also, you have never felt the pain of being without a pack….Most werewolves are not so lucky."

"Almost six thousand years ago a witch mated with a Lycan. Due to the climate of the time like many such matings with magical beings, it was kept quite, with only immediate family learning of the union. Unfortunately, soon after, a Veela proclaimed the witch as her mate as well and tried to convince her to leave the Lycan for her, but the witch refused. In a rage, the Veela tried to kill the Lycan, but was unsuccessful and before she died from the injuries she had suffered she cursed the witch that had rejected her. No one knows the wording of the curse but what is clear is that the next full moon the witch, who was pregnant at the time, changed into a ferocious wolf, never again able to attain human form….When she finally gave birth the child was born in wolf form, mad and unable to distinguish friend from foe. It is believed that the cursed witch died that very night and that the Lycan, unable to kill his own progeny, kept him locked up until a few years later when the mad werewolf escaped and attacked any witch or wizard that crossed his path."

"That's horrible…" Kyle, who had swiftly taken advantage of Harry's previous voluntary approach, whispered, as he squeezed Harry's waist and rubbed his cheek against Harry's hair. Harry cleared his throat and ignored the Luminary's arched eyebrow, feeling uncomfortable standing in another man's embrace but saying nothing since it was obvious Kyle needed the comfort and Harry had been the one to make the misguided offer, so he continued as though nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

"Yes, it was. The mad werewolf was finally killed but by then the damage had been done. All of the ones that survived the werewolf's attack didn't know they had been infected and the next full moon the cycle repeated itself again, only this time it wasn't only one werewolf like before. With time, the werewolf population grew and they started to unite into packs, most likely because of instinct. Unlike the original werewolf however, they were like the werewolves of today, retaining a human body and their sanity for the majority of the lunar cycle, only taking wolf form during the full moon."

Charles, beginning to understand the implications of this information, asked, "How do you plan to find the cure to this curse with a potion then? Curses require a counter curse to be broken or it will simply run its intended course. A potion may reduce a curses' effect but it won't get rid of it completely, which is what your Wolvesbane does, isn't? It allows us to keep our sanity but we can still infect others while in our wolf form."

"You are correct… up to a point at least. It was my mentor's theory that the only reason that werewolves are alive today is because of the prejudice of the wizarding world… and I agree with him one hundred present. If the wizarding world hadn't driven the newly turned werewolves into hiding and shunned the help of the Lycan community, the curse would have ended before 'werewolves' could have ever come to existence."

Kyle then let Harry go reluctantly as his father motioned him closer to his side and Harry breathed a silent sigh of relief as Charles asked him to explain his reasoning. "Well, the proof exists in your very own daughter, Charles. Werewolves only give birth to werewolves if they mate with another werewolf. However, if like you, a werewolf mates with a witch their offspring will consistently be a Lycan. Fear and ignorance make matings like yours extremely rare and are hidden for obvious reason. Lycans, like almost all magical beings, keep to themselves and the wizarding world is too blind and set on their ways to reconsider their misguided beliefs."

For the first time in long while Harry stopped to think about the time he'd come from. Even Dumbledore, the so called leader of the light had been just as blind to the widespread prejudice that affected all magical beings. Harry didn't want for Severus to have to grow up and live in the future he'd come from. It would be stupid of him to save Severus from a life of servitude to a madman only to condemn him to one of persecution and hatred at the hands of the wizarding world. Though almost all vampires choose to leave the wizarding world, Severus was a potions master. He would not be happy living away from the only place in which his expertise is needed and appreciated.

And just like that the sheer magnitude of what he was doing suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Harry, are you all right? You're very pale and your scent…" Kyle trailed off as he placed the palm of his hand on Harry's forehead. Harry simply swallowed and gently pushed the overenthusiastic youth's hand away.

"I'm fine. I was simply thinking about my family."

"You're family? Is there something the matter with them? Do you require aid?" The Luminary inquired, concerned to see Harry so pale and unsettled.

"Are the wizards giving you trouble, kid? Are they bugging you about marrying an older woman or something? I know some people that can help you get rid of trouble makers and gossipmongers." Charles put in as well, smirking and popping his knuckles suggestively.

"Or is it because of all that true muggle-born business? A lot of muggle-borns are being harassed because of it. Is someone bothering you or your family or –?" Kyle asked, now trying to make sure that no illness marred Harry's scent, since Harry wouldn't allow him near enough again to verify that he really didn't have a fever.

Before Harry could explain what he had meant the Luminary stepped close, looking deeply into his eyes. "Has your failure to bond affected your family ties?"

Harry's mouth almost hit the forest floor at the question and he blushed hot enough to have made any Weasley proud… And to further compound his humiliation he could see the two curious werewolves looking at the centaur for an explanation, not completely sure of what the Luminary had implied with such a question.

To further cement the surrealism of the moment, Harry was then witness to a smirking centaur; something he'd never seen in his previous reality or even in this one. He quickly moved to stop what was sure to be an embarrassing revelation but only managed an uncharacteristic sputter as he failed to come up with a diplomatic way to get back on topic.

The centaur's smirk grew to a full blown grin as he ignored Harry's attempts and answered the now smiling pair, all three of them leaning in closer. "I was referring to the fact that Harry is still chaste. Among our people a bond is not complete until a pair copulates…. And of course, a mare usually expects a foal or two at some point in the near future."

The trio then turned back their attention to a still pink Harry and before he could even open his mouth again all three of them burst into roaring laughter, holding onto each other in their hilarity.

Harry sighed and moved to the side to wait them out. Though he was glad that his new friends had finally found a common interest and had gotten past forced civility... this was not what he'd had in mind when he began these negotiations...

March 20th

"What time are we expected there, Harry?" Eileen asked as they cleaned up the potion lab after finishing their second batch of Wolvesbane that week. Preparations were running smoothly and if everything continued as such, The Princes Venture will be celebrating its grand opening by the end of the month.

"It's more like a picnic really, not like last time's dinner, so there is not set time. It is expected that we will arrive somewhere between one thirty and three though." Harry answered with an encouraging smile which was immediately returned. Their relationship had grown from the initial discomfort to a blooming friendship, which was made much easier by all the research time they spent in the potions lab. As a family, they also had their training time to both have some fun and learn to read each others movement while trying to evade random paint-attacks, most days ending their evening with laughter and a story or song for Severus, which Eileen also took part in.

As it was, it was past noon by the time they finished cleaning up the lab and made their way to their rooms for a shower, Eileen in the lead as Harry finished up some of their notes for the day. Their Wolvesbane production was on track and should be ready for when their apothecary opened, as soon as that was settled however, they, well mostly Eileen, would be able to concentrate exclusively on the Cure from then on. Harry had utmost faith in Eileen's skills and with time he knew that Severus' potions skills will surpass even those of his mother, with two Potions Masters working on this endeavor, finding the Cure was simply a matter of time.

The day went on as it usual does on a brewing day: they finished their brewing, worked a bit on some theory for the Cure and cleaned up after themselves with practiced ease. Everything going as usual….at least until they entered the hallway.

As they neared the bathroom Eileen started giggling and as Harry raised his gaze from his notes, he soon realized why. There was a very naked, very soapy looking Sev frantically trying to stop a torrent of bubbles currently escaping through the crevices of the closed bathroom door with an armful of towels. "MOM! Harry! I'm sorry! I was just testing the bubbler potion we made yesterday and I didn't notice my hand was slippery and it all fell in the bathtub and I tried to catch it, really I did, honest! But then I couldn't and -"

Eileen just started sniggering and turned twinkling eyes to Harry. "Well, I'll just leave this little crisis to you, capable husband of mine…"

"Very funny, Eileen. You know as well as I do that we have to wait for it to stop on its own." Harry sighed as he took in Severus guilty countenance. He was almost completely sure that Severus used the whole potion on purpose, most likely trying to see if it worked like the book said it did. It wouldn't be the first time Sev tried to confirm or 'improve' a potion's function when left to his own devices. At least Noodle was going to be really happy to have something to clean up when he returned from visiting his family that evening.

Luckily, Eileen's room now featured her own private bathroom, an early birthday present from Harry and Severus, so that she would be able to 'girlify it to her heart's content' as Sev so cleverly put it. "Go with your mother to finish your bath, Severus. We will be going out to lunch and should be leaving in an hour or so."

Severus' guilt was immediately replaced with a frown of suspicion. "Where are we going? It's Saturday, you don't like going out on weekends." Which was unfortunately true. People still hadn't given up on finding the true muggle-born and Harold Potter's spies had been prowling around Hogsmeade even more than before; weekend crowds made it easier for them to blend into the throng and it was harder for Harry to use his gifts whilst among so many people.

As it was, Harry and Eileen exchanged knowing looks at Severus' question. After their initial meeting at the Hogshead, Harry had spent much of his time getting to know the Hoochs and tying to set up better relations between their pack and the Centaurs. A task which Severus greatly objected to, often stating that he hated Harry coming home stinking of wet dog whenever he happened to meet with Kyle. Nonetheless, considering how much time Harry had been spending with his pack, it wasn't long before Charles invited Harry and his family over for dinner, last Tuesday to be exact. But it hadn't exactly gone smoothly.

As time went on and Severus became more comfortable with his vampire characteristics he no longer bothered to keep them in check while at home, and since the Hoochs were mostly magical creatures themselves, he didn't bother to restrain himself while in their presence. Whereas Eileen and Xiomara were well on their way to becoming best friends, Kyle and Severus had hated each other on sight. It had been somewhat amusing to see an annoyed little Severus hissing and glaring at an equally unhappy Kyle who could do little more than reply with barely audible growls, but it still made Harry nervous for them to dislike each other so strongly when Harry felt so comfortable among them already.

Which is why Eileen and Harry had decided not to mention this second invitation until the last minute, knowing that Severus' negative reaction to the idea could become more than just a little unpleasant. For now, Harry was just about to remind Severus that he was standing in the middle of the hallway as naked as Adam to sidestep the question when Eileen took matters into her own hands, also recognizing the warning signs of an eminent tantrum. "Come with me, honey." She said calmly as she started pulling a wary Severus into her bedroom, easily ignoring her son's annoyed glare with aplomb.

Harry smiled gratefully at her and let out a small laugh when he heard the screeching objections of a livid prepubescent vampire a few minutes later.

HPSSHPSSHPSSHPSSHPSS

Severus was not happy. Not happy at all. And the reason for his unhappiness was currently standing in front of him, blatantly trying to steal an oblivious Harry from him. He knew, and everyone else there knew that he knew, what Kyle was up to, which is why it was so unbearably infuriating. It was insulting, not to mention nauseating, to see the mangy mongrel making cow eyes at Harry when Severus had clearly already marked him as his own.

In truth, Severus had come to acknowledge that Harry was right and werewolves weren't mindless evil beasts, even if it had taken him a week to accept it. Still, the fact that one of them was actively trying to replace his scent mark had not exactly made him any more amiable to the idea. It wasn't until a week ago that he'd gotten to actually see the fool that thought himself worthy of being with his Harry, and he was every bit the idiot he'd imagined him to be. As it happened, the numbskull had pretended to accept his mother's claim on Harry and acted the perfect friend to both Harry and his mother.

Severus wasn't fooled however.

Harry was convinced that Kyle was too young to really know who his chosen mate should be, which meant that he ignored Severus' warnings and saw Kyle as simply a nice, if overly friendly, young man. Severus, along with the rest of the world it seemed, knew this wasn't the case at all. The little tramp used any excuse to be near Harry in order to leave as much of his scent around him as possible and everyone but Harry could see the mutt wanted Harry for himself, including Severus' mother. Unfortunately, his mother thought Harry's cluelessness and Kyle's 'crush' were adorable. Which is why he was currently surrounded by a gaggle of giggling females while his mother discreetly restrained him as they observed yet another of Kyle's attempts to have a few moments of Harry to himself.

As if Severus would ever allow such a thing to happen in his presence.

"Excuse me," he said politely enough before breaking away from his mother's clutches and walked determinedly to interfere with the mutt's transparent attempts at thievery. Harry turned around before he even reached them with a welcoming smile and Severus didn't try to smother his own grin; Harry didn't smile like that for anyone else, including the wimpy wolf taking up space next to them.

"Everything all right, Sev?" His Harry asked as he extended a welcoming arm, responding to Severus' silent request for contact. Severus' grin widened and he quickly took advantage of the invitation, pressing close to slowly rub his face on Harry's side and his right hand on Harry's belly while his left arm quickly surrounded as much of Harry's waist as he could.

"Anyway, before I forget. Our apothecary should be opening at the end of this month, a little earlier than we had expected." Harry said, calmly as always, as he returned to his conversation with a now dejected looking werewolf.

"You have finally collected enough rare potions ingredients then?" Kyle asked with ill concealed displeasure as Severus convinced Harry to sit down on the magically tended grass with him. This of course, gave him the perfect excuse to settle into his lap and consequently allowed him to rub his face into Harry's neck letting out a low hum of contentment.

"Don't you mind him rubbing himself all over you in front of other people?"

Severus growled warningly at the werewolf before looking up to see Harry's reply. The jealous twit actually had the gall to ask that when he'd practically done the same thing; not to mention that unlike Severus, he had absolutely no right to do it in the first place!

To Severus' happiness however, Harry did not look at all that pleased with the question. In fact, he even hugged him closer to his chest with both arms instead of the loose one armed hold he'd originally had on him. "You're a werewolf Kyle, and everyone here knows that Severus is a vampire. There is no reason to deny him when I've seen your family acting in similar fashion before." He looked away from Kyle for a moment to give Severus a knowing grin. "He knows Eileen and I are his, he's simply making sure everyone else here knows that too."

Severus felt his heart flutter as their eyes met and for some unfathomable reason suddenly felt like crying and smiling at the same time. Aside from his mother, Severus had never loved anyone else and though he cared for Noodle and Kura, what he felt for them paled in comparison to what he felt for Harry. He didn't feel exactly rational when it came to his green-eyed protector, his feelings simply didn't react the same way they did with everyone else, like right now. If there was one thing he feared it was for someone to take Harry away from him and he wasn't about to let anyone, especially a poaching werewolf, to take Harry away from him.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Did you get stuck playing babysitter, kid?" Charles interrupted Severus musings with a light tone, something he was silently thankful for…before he lost his cool and tried to scratch his idiot-son's eyes out. For some reason, Kyle just made him forget himself even at the best of times and when he tried to stick his snout into Severus' territory it just made everything a hundred times worse.

Surprisingly enough, Kyle's family wasn't all that bad. Charles was a tall, robust man about 6'4 with sharp facial features, golden eyes and long blue-black hair. He was pretty easy going and Severus didn't really find anything wrong with him, other than the fact that he liked to poke fun at Harry's teenage looks, thus calling him kid all the time instead of by his name. His wife, Xiomara, was very short in comparison, only about 5 feet tall and shared her looks and coloring with her daughter. Both of them had friendly open faces, gentle features (though Rolanda's were slightly sharper), and the same unique gray colored hair. Their main difference was in their eyes, Rolanda having her father's golden eyes while Xiomara had bright blue eyes.

Charles gave Harry the plate of food he'd been holding and didn't take it back after he sat down. Ignoring the fact that everyone had alalready finished eating by now; he made it clear that he'd brought it for Harry. But of course, Harry was too polite to refuse and simply nodded though Severus knew that he wasn't going to eat anymore. "You need fattening up, pup. You might look more like a grown man if you didn't look like a half starved bowtruckle."

Severus opened his mouth to protest, indignant at the insult, but Harry beat him to the punch and had him hold the plate as he said, "I assure you, I have a healthy appetite and I eat probably as much as any werewolf….However…It doesn't matter how much I eat, my physique won't be changing any time soon."

"Oh?" Charles said taking a quick glance at their uneven, circle-like arrangement of the four of them, and then returned to look at Harry with none of his usual good humor. "…..Is there anything I should know, Harry?"

"No. I'm a little different than most men, but there is nothing about me that would be a danger to you or your pack. You have my word." Severus watched Charles' slow nod of acceptance with relief. He knew Harry didn't want to share his past, he'd barely shared it with his mother and him, and even then, it had only been to answer their specific questions.

"Now, what where you saying about your store…?"

"Oh, yes, I was telling Kyle that it will be opening earlier than scheduled. So, I wanted to ask if any of you knew of anyone knowledgeable about potions and/or potion ingredients. Although my wife has agreed to manage the store, most of her time will still be devoted to finding The Cure and brewing the Wolvesbane Potion. We both agreed that she should have two full time workers as well as another two or three part-timers. I was kind of hoping that you could get the word out to any werewolves that qualified."

As the adults continued to talk about possible candidates Severus thought about their plans for the store. Though officially their store was classified as just a specialized apothecary, in truth its main purpose was to distribute the Wolvesbane to any werewolf that requested it. Severus thought it stupid not to demand any sort of payment for the Potion but since the potions ingredients the store will be selling were all of the expensive variety, Harry thought the profit from their sales would most likely cover the cost of the ingredients. After all, the Wolvesbane Potion only used moderately expensive ingredients; it is the complexity of the brewing that actually dictated its value. Even his mother, who could brew some of the most difficult potions known to the wizarding world, had trouble with this potion to begin with and it was only because of Harry's help that she managed to master it.

Regardless of how much Harry might say he wasn't a potions master his knowledge of the art was no meager thing. It was accurate to say that he didn't have the passion and instinct necessary to be a true potions master but what he did know he knew inside and out; and unlike his mother, Severus thought that Harry would have made a wonderful potions professor, if his efforts guiding his mother were any indication. If there was one thing Eileen Prince hated, it was to be told how to brew a potion that she was not familiar with, the fact that they had both emerged from the potions lab alive and unharmed spoke volumes of Harry's fortitude as an instructor.

For now, Harry didn't show any interest in becoming an educator, he seemed happy collecting rare potions ingredients and placing his wagers. Therefore, for now, his main goal was to keep Kyle as far away from Harry as possible. Well that and trying to develop Harry's sense of self preservation and awareness. His obliviousness had to be dealt with before that mongrel managed to get his dirty claws on him.

Severus bared his fangs at the werewolf in a silent hiss. Oblivious or not, Harry wasn't alone anymore; Harry was his to keep…his to care for…and his to protect…for now and for always….and no love-sick fool was going to get in his way.

Excerpt from Vampires by Countdra McKula

Vampire Basics:

True-Vampires: 100% Vampire genes

Vampires & Human-Vampires: 99%- 75% Vampire genes

Vampire Designations:

Head

Mate

Offspring

Sire

Child

Rogue

Sucio[1]

Almost everything the average witch or wizard 'know' of Vampires is exaggerated, inaccurate, or simply pure fantasy…Almost every misconception known to the Wizarding world is a result of negative 13th century propaganda. Though such false impressions were never proven even slightly accurate, the silent separation of the Vampire Nation from the Wizarding World allowed for certain myths to take root in wizarding society without interference ….

There are 3 types of Vampires in existence today, however, before the 15th century only True-Vampires and Vampires existed. The majority of the Vampire population falls under the 'Vampire' classification due to the fact that if a True-Vampire mated with a Witch (as the case usually was) their Offspring only had a 10% chance of being born a True-Vampire[2] (100% Vampire genes)…Nowadays, estimates place the Vampire (type) population to be making up somewhere between 78-88 percent of the Vampire Nation, the remaining percentage being True-Vampires and Human-Vampires. Because the term Vampire is used for all types of Vampires few people realize that there is more than one type of Vampire in existence. In reality there are probably less than 10 True-Vampires left in the world; this of course, a direct result of "The Great Extermination" which will be elaborated on at a later point. Although virtually all Vampires live in secluded family groups or communities, most True-Vampires become family Heads, their age and experience automatically making them their family's patriarch/matriarch. The overall current British Vampire (generic term) population is estimated to be anywhere from 500 to 1,000 Vampires but an exact number is indeterminable due to their secretive tendencies.

Contrary to popular belief Vampires are not Dark Creatures driven by bloodlust, trying to Turn any magical being they run into. In truth, they are very emotionally vulnerable beings and require family ties in order to maintain mental stability. Because Vampires are such secretive and protective beings, most in the Wizarding World live and die without ever seeing a sane Vampire. The Vampires encountered by the wizarding world (and to which most misconceptions are attributed to) are Rogue Vampires that have been consumed by insanity and bloodlust. The most common cause for this phenomenon is grief due to the loss of Mate or family. The other two possibilities are: 1) to be a newly Turned[3] Vampire without a Sire[4] or 2) to have been rejected by their Mate; but these last two circumstances are atypical and extremely rare….

…The nuclear Vampire family is made up of the Head, the Mate, and the Offspring. Vampire family groups include the Head (usually a True-Vampire in the UK), his/her Mate (who could also be a True-Vampire but usually not), their Offspring, and any extended family joined by blood or mating. A mated pair's biological issue is known as an Offspring in order to differentiate from a Vampire's 'Child.' A Child is a once magical human that has been Turned by a Vampire, a very rare occurrence.[5] Among Vampire families this terminology (Head, Mate, etc.) is used as a sign of respect due to the intricate hierarchy at work within family groups, but they don't make such differentiations outside the home which is why all types of Vampires are simply known as Vampires in general. Vampires only tend to use idiosyncratic terminology among family members and when it is required, such as in formal introductions and/or gatherings. The reason no Vampire ever talks about what type of Vampire anyone is, is because such information requires no vocalization, as the status of any Vampire is distinguishable by scent. Still, in Vampire society such identifications are essential in order to respect family ties and anticipate future developments that might affect their communities or even the Vampire Nation as a whole…

…Before "The Great Extermination" the Vampire community of Britain and Scotland was a thriving and very extensive one, their numbers reaching upwards of 8,000 members. All of this changed with "The Great Extermination" that took place from the end of the 12th century to the beginning of the 14th century. It was begun as a movement[6] by a small number of Wizards wanting to reclassify the Vampire as an animal in order to make it available for study, believing that Vampires held the key to eternal life. The movement failed due to Vampires holding prominent Ministry positions but as a result, the movement changed to support a new purpose. When their initial plan proved unsuccessful, Movement wizards changed their objective in resentment, seeking revenge; they modified the movement to promote the idea that Vampires were Dark Creatures and abominations of the natural world and as such, should be exterminated for the betterment of the Wizarding World. At the beginning, their ideas and suggestive propaganda were ignored …until members of the Movement began a discreet, cruel, and systematic extermination of Mates mated to Vampires of high political standing. The more Vampires went insane as more and more Mates were assassinated, the more the movement gained momentum until it became common practice to kill Vampires on sight starting somewhere around the 1220s; thus facilitating the full breakdown of many Vampire communities and the fragmentation of all Vampire families in one way or another….

…More than 85% of the Vampire population had been exterminated by the end of the 13th century until the genocide was finally stopped by Maxus Sang (Minister of Magic, 1298-1318)[7]. He was a Vampire that hid his vampirism and manipulated the Ministry by removing all Movement supporters from positions of power. "The Great Extermination," as it came to be called, was finally officially ended in the year 1315, but by then the Vampire Nation had been irrevocably changed...

…The Vampires no longer trusted the Ministry to look after their welfare and demanded a separation of interests. From then on, Vampires were to be the exclusive responsibility of the Vampire Nation. Only Rogues and Vampires proven of suspected of criminal activity within the Wizarding World could be apprehended by the Ministry. Their trial and all other legal procedures however, were to be handled by their individual Vampire clans/communities. Only Vampires held by the Ministry for more than a month without being claimed by a Vampiric representative could by tried and sentenced by the Ministry of Magic. Violation of these laws is an automatic life-time sentence in Azkaban, even to this day, though very few actually remember these laws at the present time….

This period of persecution resulted in many changes for the Vampire Nation…Before the Great Extermination all pairings were heterosexual. However, due to the massive extermination of Mates, many Vampires born during that period underwent a defensive physiological-magical mutation: their mates were all male[8]. For these pairs, the mating process came with an added change. After the Mate had gone through the mating process (which included the turning) they became capable of bearing children. Thus at present, Mates can be either male or female and both are capable of bearing offspring. Nothing changed in the case of female Vampires, their mates are still always male….Vampire fertility still remains the same however; on average, Vampire mates can only have one Offspring every 500-1,000 years. Which is why most Vampires usually only have one Offspring; with twin pregnancies[9] always resulting in death for both the Bearer and the Offspring. Though Vampires by nature are very possessive and protective, "The Great Extermination" pushed these instincts to even greater heights, which is why over 98% of the Vampire population choose to live in isolation and avoids contact with the Wizarding World at all costs. Most Vampires only come into the Wizarding World to find their Mates if they are not found to be among the Vampire Nation. In most cases Vampires find and court their Mates without Ministry interference or even any awareness of their presence. The courting process is facilitated by the Vampire Allure, though such allure only works on their Mates. On an interesting note, if the Mate takes longer than a year to consent, the Allure intensifies until the mating takes place, which is why Vampire courtships has never lasted more than 14 months…

Another change… since "The Great Extermination" is the emergence of a new kind of Vampire. Many Vampires were captured and experimented on during the 13th century. Potion Master and Alchemist Kegee Mengele in particular, used many Vampires in interbreeding experiments, trying to create the perfect Human-Vampire-hybrid. He was eventually caught by the Ministry of Magic and sentenced to the Kiss. The reason however, was not because he was experimenting with Vampires, but rather because the witches being used in his breeding experiments were unaware of their involvement. (Mengele was an expert Obliviator and he chose his subjects with extreme care in order to avoid suspicion.) No one ever found Mengele's complete research notes and therefore no one knew for sure how many witches, or which ones, had been used in his experiments…. Because no children were born with Vampire characteristics in the next 200 years, it was believed that Mengele's experiments had been a complete failure. His work however, was not as unsuccessful as had been previously assessed…The Vampire gene had been assimilated into the witches' own biological and magical makeup, and it had been passed onto their progeny in a dormant state.

The first Human-Vampire was actually born in the year1476. Human-Vampires are completely human to all outward appearances until their Vampire genes somehow become active sometime between their 8th-10th birthday. Unlike True-Vampires, who are virtually immortal, Human-Vampires are closer to Vampires in abilities; the main difference is their lifespan, which is believed to be around the vicinity of about 1,000 years. The average Vampire lives around 2,000 years and no True-Vampire has ever died of natural causes. The oldest known True-Vampire is still alive and quite healthy at 3,982 years of age. On a side note, it has been discovered that unlike other Vampires, Human-Vampires only come to be if their mates are born before they reach their 10th birthday. In other words, regardless of how many dormant vampire genes a witch or wizard is born with, if their mate is not born by the time they reach their 10th birthday (or are still alive once they turn 8) their genes will never activate and will simply pass on in their dormant state to their descendants once again…

…Like all Vampires, Human-Vampires are nocturnal beings (sunlight is not fatal, simply disliked) and have enhanced senses and very rapid regenerative qualities. They have the Allure like other Vampires and it is only rendered ineffective if the Mate is another Vampire, but then it is irrelevant because they both have the same mating instincts. Basically, the Allure is there to facilitate mating for those that have non-Vampire Mates[10]. Though born in the Wizarding World, Human-Vampires tend to isolate themselves with their Mates once they find them and begin their own families. Sometimes thought, they choose to join the clan of whichever Vampire (generic term) they are descendants of (if any ancestral family member is still alive). This is an option that is available to all Human-Vampires due to the invention of "Blood-Linage," though invented for maternity/paternity verifications when crucial to settling inheritance disputes, it has become an important tool for Human-Vampires wishing to know more of their Vampire blood-lines…as well as other Ministry procedures….

…All Vampires reach maturity at the age of 15 (when they are able to find their mate), but they don't stop aging until their 30th birthday. Like with witches and wizards, magical capability and power varies with individual. They all reach their maximum power by the time they are 20, though some, the most powerful, can reach their full magical potential by their 18th birthday….

Footnotes:
[1.] Word used for Vampires that have been banished from the Vampire Nation due to unpardonable offenses; also a very vulgar insult meaning dirty, it insinuates that they are not worthy of their Vampire lineage.
[2.] Only True-Vampires are born with retractable blood-fangs, Vampires are born toothless and don't grow blood-fangs until after their 3rd birthday.
[3.] Turning is the term used for the process in which a witch or wizard accepts to be, and is, 'turned' into a Vampire by another Vampire. The one turned is the Child, the one doing the turning is the Sire.
[4.] The abandonment of a newly Turned Child by their Sire is an automatic death sentence for both the Sire and the Child in Vampire society.
[5.] Children are so rare that there usually are less than 5 at any one time in the world. Also, while Mates are technically Turned if they are not already a Vampire, they are not considered 'Turned' Vampires. Only Children are considered Turned Vampires because they are seen as complete outsiders to the Vampire Nation. It is impossible to Turn someone without their consent and muggles cannot be Turned because they lack the magical pathways required to sustain the physiological modifications needed for the transformation.
[6.] There is no official record, nor does any Vampire now live that remembers the name of the original group. "The Movement" is the reference found in The Vampire Chronicles.
[7.] This claim is based upon The Vampire Chronicles. Wizarding Historical Records from that time period are omitted, missing, or incomplete, and therefore could not be used to either support or negate this claim.
[8.] It is believed that because Vampires have a strong predisposition to being born male and by extension having a majority of female-Mates, having male-Mates capable of bearing children was a defensive mechanism to the preservation of their kind. Since male-Mates could be hidden more effectively, it became one of the most guarded secrets of the Vampire race and to this day there are very few in the Wizarding community that know this fact.
[9.] Due to the fast regenerative properties inherent to the Vampire race, abortions are an impossibility and no Vampire would ever think of terminating a pregnancy, Vampire instinct does not allow it! (CM)
[10.] Though it is taken as a given that the Allure will work on all non-Vampire Mates, The Vampire Chronicles, in its expanse all the way back to 295 BCE, show that the possibility of immunity exists; it contains record of two human-Mates completely immune to the Allure. Unquestionably, this capability is an extreme rarity.