The forest elves resided in a woodland near Limerick, Ireland. Their domain spanned hundreds of kilometers, and while vampires were not their enemies, they were far from welcome guests. As soon as Nolan approached the elves' territory, he was greeted with arrows and warnings, and it became clear that the elves were on edge.
Something seemed to be unsettling the entire elven community in Ireland, but Nolan had little interest in their affairs. His sole concern was to find a suitable gatekeeper, but luck was not on his side.
After spending three days in Ireland, Nolan returned to England on Christmas Day.
The Sistine Estate of the Von Draugr family was lively that day. Nolan not only encountered several relatives he hadn't seen in years but also had the rare opportunity to meet all fourteen of Grand Duchess Felicia's undead kin. Necromancer Stephanie and Nolan's second undead kin, Yulisa Heckler, also made their appearances. Together, they retrieved several young maidens from the cellar and enjoyed a harmonious and festive feast.
Christmas was indeed a fascinating holiday. Originally a religious celebration, it had become beloved by wizards, even though they were technically pagans. It was no surprise that even vampires like the Von Draugr family enjoyed joining the festivities.
Nolan received numerous gifts that day. From Baron Dura, he got Winning Her Heart: A Vampire's Gentlemanly Guide! Dalric gifted him a complete set of bodybuilding and fitness equipment for men. Nolan stared silently at both gifts for a long time.
Grand Duchess Felicia's gift was a self-funded photo collection titled The Elegant and Perfect Day of Felicia Von Draugr, Vampire Grand Duchess. Nolan leafed through it expressionlessly from cover to cover before tossing it into the trash.
Miss Nancy gave him an exquisite cat teaser wand, which Nolan used to play with her for an entire afternoon.
Miss Theresa, the maid, presented a set of silver cutlery. Although Nolan couldn't quite figure out the utility of knives and forks for a vampire, he still carefully stowed them away in the depths of his coffin.
Red-haired Italian songstress Libera Rosseau sent him tickets to her concert. Grateful, Nolan passed them on to Miles, who excitedly declared it the best Christmas gift he'd ever received.
His Slytherin friends sent a variety of snacks and treats, but Nolan, unable to eat them, passed them to Stephanie, who seemed quite interested in them.
Speaking of Stephanie, she gave Nolan a skull, claiming it belonged to the legendary French vampire, Bluebeard. Nolan, however, suspected she was bluffing—rumor had it Bluebeard was still alive.
Yulisa Heckler, heiress of HK Corporation, gifted Nolan a commemorative G3 rifle. Nolan admired its craftsmanship and thought it was truly a beautiful weapon.
The Weasley twins sent over a collection of dung bombs, which Grand Duchess Felicia gleefully tossed around the estate until Miss Theresa intervened and brought the chaos to an end.
Professor McGonagall thoughtfully sent Nolan a psychological self-help book, possibly believing he was too serious. Meanwhile, Professor Dumbledore sent a bundle of woolen socks—likely his own favorite thing.
Eve Stock presented Nolan with a gorgeous silver pocket watch engraved with an intricately detailed Slytherin serpent. Judging by its craftsmanship, Nolan guessed it was extremely valuable, though he couldn't quite discern Eve's intentions.
As for Cho Chang, her gift appeared to be a homemade cake. Accompanying it was a letter once again urging Nolan to visit her home. She had even included her address this time.
Three days after Christmas, under the cover of night, Nolan transformed into a massive raven and soared into the sky. Gliding through the cold air currents for three hours, he finally descended upon a quiet residential neighborhood in London.
He located Cho Chang's address—a charming gray cottage. Two cars were parked outside, and the house had a small garden with a swing and a summer pool.
Nolan rang the doorbell, and shortly after, a little girl opened the door.
"It's my sister's schoolmate! I saw you at King's Cross Station!" she squealed. "Are you a wizard too? I know you can do magic! Can you show me? My sister never uses magic in front of me!"
"Underage wizards can't use magic outside of school. That's Hogwarts' rule!" Cho scolded as she appeared from inside the house, wearing an apron and looking every bit the part of a caring older sister. She urged her sister, "Bai Chang, you need to go take your bath now. Don't block the doorway and keep Nolan waiting!"
Bai Chang pouted and muttered under her breath, "She's so stingy..." She ran back inside, her footsteps echoing through the house as she yelled, "Dad! Mom! Sister brought home her boyfriend from school!"
"This child…" Cho muttered, clearly exasperated. She turned to Nolan and complained, "Ever since I was chosen by Hogwarts, she's been so envious. She acts like it's my fault she didn't get to go with me!"
"She just admires you," Nolan said softly as he handed over a gift. "Merry Christmas, Cho."
"Oh, thank you! At least you remembered to bring me a gift!" Cho said, a smile lighting up her face. She took it cheerfully, then crouched down to hand Nolan a pair of house slippers before taking his hand and leading him inside.
The house was warm and inviting. Cho's parents, both kind-looking, were present.
Cho's mother was energetic and youthful, with a playful disposition. She teased her daughter about Nolan's appearance and quickly got into a lively quarrel with her two daughters. Her father, on the other hand, was a shrewd wizard who seemed to have retired from the magical world to work in a Muggle bank.
He enthusiastically started talking to Nolan about Quidditch—because, of course, wizards always ended up talking about Quidditch. Upon hearing that Slytherin had soundly defeated Hufflepuff this year, however, he visibly deflated.
Cho's mother, meanwhile, eagerly asked Nolan about her daughter's school life. When she learned that Cho had managed to explore every single forbidden room in Hogwarts within three months, she beamed with pride and exclaimed, "That's my daughter!" much to Nolan's amusement.
Late that night, Cho showed Nolan to the room her family had prepared for him. Blushing slightly, she apologized, "I'm sorry if my parents were a bit overwhelming."
"No," Nolan replied firmly. "Compared to my sister, they're absolute paragons of decorum."
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Her parents adored her, and her older brother doted on her endlessly. The warmth and care of her family gradually healed the scars left by the bullying she had endured at school. However, one unexpected development caught Eve off guard—her Muggle family seemed to have a keen interest in Hogwarts.
Despite her reluctance, Eve had no choice but to recount her school experiences to her family. To her dismay, she found her own stories lacking in excitement. Her knowledge and perspective on the magical school were skewed, leaving her with little to share.
As a result, she repeated the same handful of happy memories over and over again.
"Wow! That's so cool!" her brother exclaimed enthusiastically for the eighth time as Eve described how Nolan had magically flung a boy named Malcolm into the air and turned him into a toad.
"His name is Nolan?" Eve's mother, a kind and gentle woman, beamed with joy. "What a thoughtful and kind young gentleman, standing up for you like that." Then, struck by a sudden idea, she added, "Oh, Eve, why didn't you invite him to spend Christmas with us? You know we'd welcome him with open arms!"
"Um... if I see him at school again, I'll let him know about your invitation," Eve said, her voice faltering as her mood darkened. "But I'm not sure if Nolan would want to visit. He's always so busy..." She trailed off, her voice low and her lips pouting slightly.
Eve's father, ever perceptive, picked up on her change in demeanor.
That evening, while the house was quiet, Eve tiptoed downstairs to get a drink of water. She found her father lounging on the sofa, enjoying a beer and watching a Muggle soccer match.
Men always seemed to love those round, bouncy balls—be they Muggles or wizards.
"Dad, are you done with work for the day?" Eve asked sweetly, bringing over a basket of snacks for him. She curled up beside him, resting her head against his shoulder like a little cat, her eyes closing as she enjoyed the comforting strokes of his hand on her hair.
"Haha, I've got a long holiday after Christmas this year," her father said with a laugh. "Eve, if you're up for it, we could go on a trip. Germany, Italy... though not France. Your brother keeps pestering me to see the Eiffel Tower, but I've got no love for the French."
Eve perked up at the suggestion. Perhaps it was a universal trait of girls to love the idea of traveling. "I want to go skiing in Switzerland! And see the Northern Lights in Finland!"
"Sure thing!" her father said with a wide grin. Seeing his daughter's spirits lifted erased the cloud of worry he had been feeling. "If you'd like, you can even invite some of your school friends along."
"I…" Eve hesitated, her smile fading.
"Eve," her father said seriously, "what's going on at school? Have you not made any friends?"
"Well, maybe people just don't like me very much…" Eve murmured, her voice trembling slightly. She had been longing to confide in someone, and her father was, of course, her best choice. "Dad, did you know? When students first arrive at our school, they're sorted into four different houses. My house has really strict expectations about blood status..."
Her father looked puzzled. "Blood status?"
"Yeah. Wizarding bloodlines. If both parents are wizards, the child is considered pureblood. If only one parent is a wizard, the child is half-blood. And if neither of them are wizards…" Eve's voice caught in her throat, and she whispered with tear-filled eyes, "They call me a Mudblood…"
Her father froze, his expression darkening as anger flared in his eyes. "They call you what?"
"A Mudblood…" Eve's voice cracked as she shook her head quickly, wiping away her tears. "Please don't be angry, Dad…" She reached out to gently tug on his arm, trying to calm him down.
"Now I understand why you've been so unhappy," Eve's father said, his voice tinged with anger. He had always treated his youngest daughter like a princess, sheltering her from hardship. To hear that she was being bullied at school was an outrage to him. "And the other... what's the word? Muggle-born children? Didn't they stand up for you?"
"... I'm the only one," Eve said, her voice quivering with sadness. "In a thousand years, I'm the only one. I'm the most 'special' Slytherin, and they all say I'm dirty and that I've ruined the traditions of Slytherin."
Her father frowned deeply. "How could this happen? Is it possible they made a mistake during the sorting? If I write to your headmaster, do you think they'd consider letting you switch houses?"
"I don't think so, Dad... Everyone says the Sorting Ceremony is sacred. In a thousand years, no wizard has ever switched houses. Only wizards who truly embody a house's values are sorted into it. I don't know why I'm in Slytherin. Maybe the Sorting Hat made a mistake..."
Eve's father put aside his soccer match, his concern for his daughter's mental health taking precedence. After a moment of hesitation, he said gently, "Don't worry about it anymore. I'll take care of this."
"Thank you, Dad!" Eve beamed and gave her father a kiss on the cheek. Then she said excitedly, "If the professors agree to let me switch houses, I'd like to go to Hufflepuff. I think I'd fit in better there—everyone is so kind!"
Her father chuckled. "So, Nolan stood up for you because of this?"
At the mention of Nolan, Eve's expression dimmed again. "Yes. Nolan is so brave. He's amazing—always so special in our house."
"If he's willing to stand up for you against most of your housemates, then he must be a good kid," her father said thoughtfully.
"But he got hurt because of me," Eve mumbled tearfully, recalling what had happened during the first flying lesson. "It was all my fault that he got so badly injured. I don't know how to face him. I'm scared he won't talk to me anymore! He must hate me now—I caused him so much pain, and I haven't even apologized..."
"Then why not apologize?" her father asked gently.
Eve started crying again. "What if he hates me anyway?"
Her father sighed. Little girls' thoughts were often a tangled mess, and he found it hard to make sense of them. For that matter, even his wife's emotions were still a mystery to him after all these years.
After soothing Eve and tucking her into bed, he sat in the quiet living room, lost in thought about what he had just heard.
A one-in-a-thousand-years anomaly? How could that be mere coincidence? His fists clenched tightly as a grim realization began to form.
Slytherins always had at least one wizard parent. Eve's mother wasn't a witch, which meant her biological father must have been.
As for him? He was as ordinary a Muggle as they came.
"Oh God... Oh God," he whispered, his voice trembling with anguish. "Why has this happened? Have you forsaken your faithful servant?"
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