The Denarian book sequence might be off now due to Battle Ground.  It might be 21 now. 

• 18 - Mirror Mirror - Parallel dimension book
• 19 - BATTLE ROYALE - Wrestling book (name seems less likely now thanks to Battle Ground...)
• 20 - PAST TIME - Time travel book
• 21 - DEVILS KNIGHT - Denarian pre-apocalypse book

I'm liking the dead Dragon theory.

• St. George kills a Dragon (using the Spear of Destiny maybe?)
• Later, the Order of St. George is founded.
• Even later, a leader known for using "ruthless methods" to maintain power, founds the Order of the Dragon, modeling it after Order of St. George but named for the Dragon rather than the Saint.
• The symbol of the order is a dragon restrained by its own tail.
• Vlad II, a Starborn, joins the Order, and is chosen to act as host to a Dragon mantle.
• Vlad II receives the constructed mantle, becoming something inhuman trapped in human form, taking the moniker 'Drakul'/'Dracul'.
• When his son Vlad III doesn't live up to his expectations, Junior becomes a Black Court vampire to give himself power and impress his dad.
• Junior founds the Black Court to organize the vampires; while unimpressed, Drakul sees the value and takes control after his son is killed.

This allows for Drakul to largely conform to the historical record, allows for Dracula to both found the Black Court *and* become a Blamp as an act of rebellion (meaning the Blamp type can be older than just the 1400's), and allows for a method for the Court to become associated with Drakul.

What other facts/WoJ on the subject would need to be addressed/incorporated?

I forget, was it ever confirmed that the curse was anchored to both brothers, or is it just assumed?

In think more often than not, it does go badly, there is a reason why Jim decided to go with the 666 years between births.  And that is why the choice of Malcolm for Harry's father is so significant in this whole process.  And why Harry is told over and over again he has a good heart like his father. I don't think he is being told this just to be saying something nice about him.  It is what sets him apart from and keeps him from becoming a monster like Drakul and Listen.  It's the bit that the White Council doesn't get.

One good point you make is that if Harry was born in 1975, give or take a few years, then the last Starborn alignment would have been 1306, give or take a few years.

Vlad II was born real-world in "before 1395". Open-ended, sure, but his father was born 1355. So the Starborn alignment date was fudged, or the Dresdenverse Vlad II wasn't the son of Mircea I. 

So maybe it opens the door for him to being the son of someone... Something... else.

So is the assumption that Drakul was always bad and wouldn't have been worthy of receiving Soulfire from a Sponsor? 

Because let's remember that the historical Drakul (Vlad II Dracul) was a first-class member of the Order of the Dragon, a chivalric order that supported the Holy Roman Empire.  He swore to defend it, and their code was "in company with the prelates, barons, and magnates of our kingdom, whom we invite to participate with us in this party, by reason of the sign and effigy of our pure inclination and intention to crush the pernicious deeds of the same perfidious Enemy, and of the followers of the ancient Dragon, and (as one would expect) of the pagan knights, schismatics, and other nations of the Orthodox faith, and those envious of the Cross of Christ, and of our kingdoms, and of his holy and saving religion of faith, under the banner of the triumphant Cross of Christ."

Just how devout or useful Vlad II was to the preservation of the Church is questionable, but he was a warrior king that fought against other nations and religions. 

Who's to say that he wasn't given power as a Starborn, but he went down a dark path after that and became something else?

I'll update this poll as new possibilities are presented. 

• No 'other here', just reply with options and I'll add.
• For count-based limitations, I'm going with basic (1), thematic (3), or known limitations to outsiders (13, like the cornerhounds). If a case can be made for another number, I'll add it.
• Possession options are for full possession, like we've seen with Cat Sith and Justine.
• Influence options are for whispered influence, like what may have happened with Sells, Denton, and others, possibly without violating mortal free will and not controlling them directly.
• Spying options are for theoretical sensory input from corrupted targets, where there's no influence exerted but intel is gathered from unknowing victims.

I think the question is whether Harry splurges on nice stuff or if he falls back into what's familiar and furnishes the castle via Goodwill [/list]

I doubt he'll splurge.  I'm a little surprised he said something about "with what money I have left" or something along those lines at the end of Battle Ground.  He should have his and Murphys diamonds, which should be a lot even after the weregild to Marcone.

I see him going a frugal but sturdy route. No doubt Michael will know someone in the wood furniture business that will build solid good furniture for a decent price.  Because Michael.

And even if he has to buy it, I'm sure he'll get decent stuff. It's no longer about being a poor detective wizard. It's about making a home for his daughter and a sanctuary for the apocalypse.