Dracula is dead?

Finishing the rest of this novel was very interesting.  I figured with Mina being vulnerable as well allowing her self to get to deep into the hunt for Dracula; that it was only a matter of time that she would start the transformation.  What I don't understand is why the transformation into a vampire takes so long.  It took Lucy days to become a vampire and when they set up the funeral she didn't look like she was actually dead.  I felt like it was a ploy of Mina's to want to accompany the gentlemen to find the boxes, because she had to know that if she could sense Dracula that the opposite would be true.  I was also taken back by the fact of the Communion wafers, I have never heard of this being used as a way to keep a vampire at bay.  I guess it makes sense, since anything godly will hurt or prevent vampires from doing any harm.  In comparison to the killing of Carmilla versus the killing of Lucy there was no burning of the body once the head was separated from the body and in this novel garlic became a presence by stuffing it into Lucy's mouth.  Since Dracula was the head vampire I liked how they made it apparent that once the head is dead that all other vampires are no longer vampires.  I also like the end I am always a sucker for the "where are they now" deal.