The girls at Hogwarts had always been very interested in Nolan.
It wasn't as though no one had tried to approach him. Despite Nolan's distant demeanor, he seemed to struggle with rejecting others. Invitations to hang out usually prompted some deliberation before he eventually nodded and agreed. However, for many of the girls, the bigger obstacle wasn't Nolan himself—it was the other girls around him.
At first, Nolan was always accompanied by the Slytherin silver-haired Eve. During the early weeks of the term, the two were practically inseparable. Eve clung to Nolan's robes like a little sister, and many young witches envied her position.
But after some time, something changed, and the two stopped speaking. Rumors spread that Nolan had dumped Eve. As for why… it was whispered that Eve Stock was a Muggle-born Slytherin.
The idea of a Muggle-born in Slytherin shocked even the Gryffindors. To their knowledge, such a thing hadn't happened in over a thousand years.
After Eve left Nolan's side, the other girls thought they finally had a chance to get close to the Slytherin prince. But much to their surprise, Cho Chang from Ravenclaw quickly stepped in. Despite being in a different house, Cho always found reasons to linger around Nolan—just as she was doing now.
Cho was waiting in the corridor, leaning casually against the wall. Her chin was tilted slightly downward, a shy curve gracing her lips. When she saw Nolan emerge from the Slytherin common room, her face lit up. Raising her hand, she waved gently, her voice soft and sweet.
"Hi, Nolan!"
Cho had changed a lot recently. Believing that Nolan liked girls like Eve, she had tried to transform herself. Originally outgoing and confident, she had worked hard to adopt a more demure demeanor. Though she couldn't fully suppress her natural boldness, she had managed to add a touch of shyness to her personality.
Nolan glanced at Cho, his expression neutral. After a moment of thought, he tilted his head and asked in a soft voice, "Are you bored?"
"No!" Cho's cheeks flushed red with frustration. Why was this boy so oblivious? She fidgeted with the hem of her robes and said anxiously, "I applied to join the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. If all goes well, I'll be on the team next year!"
Nolan nodded nonchalantly. "That's good."
Cho's face darkened.
Nolan thought for a moment, then added uncertainly, "Congratulations?"
Cho's expression soured further as she fell silent.
Nolan turned away. "I'll head back now. I've made some progress in my research on flying brooms. I believe that even without relying on such ridiculous contraptions, it's possible to achieve flight."
"Nolan!" Cho cried out in exasperation. "Are you deliberately treating me this way? I don't believe you can't see how I feel! You're still thinking about Eve, aren't you? I admit she's a lovely girl, but you shouldn't ignore me because of her!"
Nolan sighed and turned back to look Cho over. He wasn't clueless; he could tell what some of these young witches were thinking. But he was a vampire. For his kind, procreation didn't require coupling with another vampire, and so sexual desire was often overshadowed by their insatiable thirst for blood.
And even if he did experience desire, it certainly wouldn't be for these eleven- or twelve-year-old girls.
Nolan replied softly, "Cho, you're too young."
"But I'm the same age as Eve!"
"Eve is too young as well," Nolan said matter-of-factly. He paused, then added, "Though I can't figure out what Eve is thinking. She doesn't seem to like talking to me anymore, but that's fine. I don't need everyone to like me. Professor Snape doesn't like me much either. It's strange—why does he always pick on me?"
Cho's eye twitched. With a sigh, she said, "Probably because you ruined his image. Lately, everyone's been secretly laughing at Snape's new hairstyle."
"Is that so."
"Nolan, don't change the subject!" Cho Chang took a step closer, her intense black eyes locking onto Nolan. Her straightforward demeanor radiated from her as she demanded, "You said I'm too young. Does that mean I'll have a chance when I grow up?"
Nolan replied softly, "I won't deny it. If you're determined to stick to your feelings, I could always turn you into one of my kind."
"One of your kind?" Cho tilted her head, confusion clouding her expression. She didn't quite grasp what Nolan meant, but the implication of a future together thrilled her. Smiling brightly, she declared, "Then you can't ignore me anymore, and you definitely can't treat me coldly! After all, I'm your future girlfriend. If you ignore me, I'll get angry. You know, in my family, my dad always listens to my mom. He says it's a man's virtue!"
"Your dad is quite the man," Nolan remarked dryly, his tone laced with sarcasm.
Cho puffed her chest proudly. "Of course! They get along so well!" Her voice dropped to a softer tone as she continued, "So, Nolan, you can't reject me. If I invite you over for Christmas, you'll come to my house, right?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe isn't good enough! You have to come!" Cho insisted, her earnest expression leaving no room for negotiation. She thought for a moment and added, "Otherwise, I'll be really mad!"
After parting ways with Cho, Nolan headed back to the Slytherin common room. Along the way, in the corner of a dimly lit corridor, he came across Eve Stock. Her eyes were red, and she wore an expression of confusion and sadness.
The moment Eve saw Nolan, she lowered her head in distress and darted away, her footsteps echoing as she fled.
"Ah!"
As Eve turned the corner, she collided with someone—unfortunately, it was none other than Malcolm Baddock.
Malcolm's disdain for Eve was unparalleled. To him, even Nolan Von Draugr, the boy who had once turned him into a toad, was preferable to a Muggle-born like her. Malcolm's face twisted in anger as he barked at her, "Watch where you're going, you filthy mud—"
He froze mid-sentence, his voice dying abruptly as though he'd been choked. Malcolm had spotted Nolan, who was standing not far away, his usual blank expression fixed in place. Despite Nolan's calm demeanor, Malcolm had no doubt that the Slytherin could easily make his life a living hell with a single flick of his wand.
Without another word, Malcolm turned and fled.
Nolan tilted his head slightly and said in a soft, even tone, "Malcolm, avoid using that word in the future."
Eve's heart sank even further. For the past two months, she had barely managed to get by. Apart from Alicia Spinnet's visits, everyone in her dormitory treated her as an outcast. Daily, she endured the glares and bullying from her fellow Slytherins.
She had once enjoyed flying lessons, but after that incident, she began to dread them. Flying wasn't the same anymore, and her performance on a broom had worsened significantly.
Madam Hooch had tried to counsel Eve, attempting to ease her burden. But it was futile; Eve could only wallow in self-blame, repeating, "It's all my fault Nolan ended up like this!"
Her only refuge was her bed, buried under her covers. There, she felt safe and free. In the quiet of her cocoon, she could endlessly replay the first two weeks of school, convincing herself that Nolan had protected her.
~~~----------------------
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One weekend in November, most of the senior students headed off to the wizarding village of Hogsmeade, leaving the vast Hogwarts castle feeling empty. The first- and second-year students who remained behind mostly lounged in their common rooms, catching up on sleep. A few, however—such as a certain pair of red-haired troublemakers—ventured out into the snow for a lively snowball fight.
Nolan Von Draugr didn't mind the cold. His body temperature was naturally low, and even when he exhaled into the winter air, no mist escaped his lips like it did for witches and Muggles. The crisp chill sharpened his mind, and in such weather, Nolan often found it unnecessary to sleep at night.
"Let's give it a try, Mr. Von Draugr," said Professor McGonagall, her voice steady and authoritative. She and Nolan were in the Transfiguration classroom, where they had pushed all the desks and chairs into the corners to create a large, open space for their research into new Transfiguration techniques.
"I'm not sure if the vampiric transformation technique will work for wizards," Nolan said softly.
"Don't worry! If McGonagall goes feral after transforming, I'll just knock her out!" chimed in Felicia. She cracked her knuckles loudly, making her enthusiasm unmistakable.
Nolan turned to McGonagall with a faint smile. "That's wonderful news, Professor. Now you don't need to worry about losing control."
"...You have a point, Mr. Von Draugr," McGonagall replied with a sigh. She couldn't help but marvel at Felicia's lively personality. Despite being a centuries-old vampire, Felicia seemed more like a playful, energetic young woman than an ancient being.
"Since you've had experience transforming into a cat, I suggest you attempt a feline form for this vampiric transformation. It should help you ease into the state and resist being overwhelmed by wild instincts," Nolan proposed calmly. He added, "In fact, if a vampire's first transformation is into a wolf, their second is almost always a dog. The overlap in behavior between wolves and dogs is significant. Some even say that dogs are simply domesticated wolves."
McGonagall nodded in agreement and began her transformation. Channeling her magic into herself, she initiated the process, and her formidable magical energy began reshaping her body.
Although McGonagall was no stranger to altering her physical form—being a skilled Animagus who had spent significant portions of her life as a cat—this transformation proved to be agonizing. Her aged body felt as if it were being torn apart.
Nolan blinked as he observed the bizarre creature that materialized before him. It had the body of a sleek black panther, but one leg was a petite cat's paw, while the other remained unmistakably human.
"A chimera!" Felicia's eyes sparkled with excitement. She clapped her hands in delight, exclaiming, "What an incredible creature! Is this McGonagall's transformation? It's so ugly, but I want to keep it!"
Nolan shook his head. "I think she just failed. Oh, poor Professor McGonagall..."
Indeed, McGonagall appeared to be in great pain. The panther half of her body was drenched in sweat, leaving its black fur damp and matted.
Felicia cheerfully delivered a powerful punch to the panther's head, rendering it unconscious. Nolan quickly counteracted the vampiric transformation with his unicorn wand, reverting the chimera back into the form of an elderly witch.
"This was a terrible idea, Mr. Von Draugr," McGonagall said half an hour later, after regaining consciousness. Reflecting on the experience, she admitted, "We should never have attempted to use vampiric power on a witch. During the transformation, I felt as though all the blood in my body was boiling, almost evaporating. Your kind's power undoubtedly stems from your blood. Wizards don't possess such an inherent force."
"I had hoped magic could substitute for bloodlines," Nolan said thoughtfully. "It seems that isn't feasible. To achieve our goal, we have two options. The first is to create a magical artifact capable of converting magical energy into bloodline power. The second is to develop a potion that can temporarily grant non-vampires the attributes of our kind."
Professor McGonagall pondered Nolan's suggestions, realizing that both avenues—creating magical tools or developing a potion—were theoretically feasible, though extremely challenging.
Modern witches and wizards had few skilled artisans capable of crafting magical artifacts. The most commonly produced items were flying broomsticks and wands. As for creating new potions, sourcing the necessary ingredients was a significant hurdle.
Nolan shared his perspective. "We can work on inventing the new transformation magic while also preparing a magical artifact and a potion to enable wizard-vampire hybrids. I'm confident this won't take too much time. Professor McGonagall, I'm the only one who can simultaneously wield vampiric abilities and wizarding magic. Please teach me the Animagus spell, and I'll use it as a foundation to develop this new transformation magic."
Professor McGonagall hesitated. She worried about whether Nolan could withstand the process of becoming an Animagus. Even among experienced and knowledgeable wizards, some lost themselves to the animal instincts and became permanently trapped in their beast forms. In fact, the number of officially registered Animagi each year rarely exceeded double digits, highlighting how rare it was for wizards to master this ability.
Nolan, however, remained unfazed. "I began learning vampiric transformation techniques at the age of seven. Believe me, that is far more challenging than becoming an Animagus. Being constantly influenced by a beast's primal instincts isn't exactly enjoyable."
Felicia giggled mischievously. "Nolan's first transformation was into a lamb. There were several occasions when I couldn't find him, only for the maids to discover him kneeling in the grass, chewing on clover. At the time, he outright refused to believe he was a vampire and insisted he'd been born a lamb."
A faint flush of color spread across Nolan's pale skin as he anxiously tugged on Felicia's gown. "Please stop talking..."
"Why shouldn't I talk about it? While I still don't understand why turning into a lamb has any practical use, it was absolutely adorable. From that day forward, Nolan has always been a sweet little lamb in my heart!"
Nolan glanced awkwardly at Professor McGonagall, trying to maintain his dignity as he mumbled, "My second transformation was into a wolf. Among vampires, it's not uncommon for someone to take the form of a herbivore. It's actually quite useful; we can disguise ourselves as harmless prey animals. After all, werewolves would never suspect their mortal enemies to appear so docile."
"Of course!" Felicia chimed in with a mischievous grin. "They'd never expect it—but even if they don't suspect anything, they'd still happily gobble up a tender little lamb for lunch!"
Nolan stared blankly at Felicia for a long moment before softly declaring, "Felicia, I dislike you."
Watching their odd sibling dynamic, Professor McGonagall's lined face twitched as she fought back laughter. Finally, she managed to compose herself. "Very well, Mr. Von Draugr. I'll teach you the Animagus spell, but you must promise not to practice it unsupervised. Your skill in Transfiguration is the best in your year, and I'd hate to lose such a talented student—even if he's not a wizard."
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