Life hasn't been the same for Elena (DeGrassi: The Next Generation's Nina Dobrev) since the tragic death of her parents, but she tries to pick up the pieces and provide support for her troubled younger brother, Jeremy (Steven R. McQueen). On her first day back at Mystic Falls High School, Elena meets the mysterious new guy, Stefan (Paul Wesley - Everwood), and the two seeming lost souls form an instant connection. What Elena doesn't know, however, is that Stefan is a vampire, constantly resisting the urge to taste her blood. But Stefan, it seems, has a greater evil to deal with when his dangerous older brother, Damon (Ian Somerhalder - Lost), shows up to wreak havoc on the town of Mystic Falls — and claim Elena for himself. The Vampire Diaries is based on the best-selling book series from Alloy Entertainment. Think you know vampires? You don't.