Chapter 102: 102: What Is a Vampire?

On the day before the end of the holiday, Eve Stock reluctantly parted from her mother and boarded the Hogwarts Express bound for school. Famas—a long-eared, tiger-striped owl—sat quietly in its cage, hooting softly from time to time. Eve sat in the gently swaying carriage, reading a book while absentmindedly feeding Famas dried lizard snacks. The owl had been a Christmas gift from her mother. Eve had been ecstatic for days after receiving it, even attempting to bring it to bed with her at night. She quickly learned that owls didn't care much for soft beds and preferred to sleep during the day. Footsteps echoed outside the compartment. Eve noticed that several students were passing by, pausing just long enough to peer through the glass at her, as if observing some rare creature at the zoo. She knew exactly what was on their minds. Her recent rise to fame had drawn attention—winning the Quidditch match, bringing glory to Hogwarts, and ultimately securing second place in the European competitions. If not for that, no one would care. Just like last year. Eve shook her head, pushing aside such tiresome thoughts and turning the page. She was eager to absorb the knowledge the book offered. A sharp knock interrupted her. Standing outside the compartment were two girls dressed in Muggle clothing, looking pale and nervous. Camille Smith and Laura Cook. Both were Eve's dormmates—and the two girls who had bullied her the most last year. Eve invited them in, though her tone was cool. "No empty seats out there?" "Oh, no... actually, we found a place to sit," Laura Cook said awkwardly. "Montague and Miles are in our compartment playing wizard's chess. We thought maybe... you'd like to join us, Eve?" "I have reading to do, Miss Cook," Eve replied dryly. Camille's gaze landed on Famas. Intrigued by the long-eared owl, she reached out to poke at the cage playfully. "Hey, Eve, this thing is adorable. Is it yours?" Eve glanced at her, sighing as she closed the book with a soft thud. "Alright, girls. If there's something you want to say, just say it. I doubt I'm that intimidating... am I?" "Oh, Eve, come on. Don't be like that," Camille pouted, grabbing Eve's hand and swaying it gently like a child seeking forgiveness. "There are only four girls in our year at Slytherin. We should get along better, shouldn't we?" Compared to Camille's cloying act, Laura Cook appeared far more sincere. Her freckled face was tense, lips pressed in hesitation. "Eve, what we did last year was wrong. I know it hurt you, and I can't deny that. But... we were twelve. We didn't understand anything," Laura said earnestly. "We're here to apologize. We know better now. Eve, you're not someone who embarrasses us—you've proven that." Eve regarded her quietly before responding. "Well, Laura, Camille... if you're both willing to be friends with a Muggle-born Slytherin like me, then at the very least, let's stop making the dorm feel like a war zone. Alicia's worried about us—I don't want to keep troubling her." Eve's voice softened, thinking of their friend Alicia, who often tried to mediate the tension between them. "So... friends?" "Friends!" Camille grinned, shaking Eve's hand enthusiastically—acting as if last year's flying lesson accident hadn't been her fault. "Thank you, Eve," Laura said, shaking her hand as well. Her tone was sincere. "And... congratulations on winning second place in the dueling tournament. We heard it wasn't easy. People are saying Nolan got into trouble because of it—I hope he's alright." "Nolan will be fine. The professors always favor him," Camille chimed in, swinging her arms playfully. "See you at Hogwarts, Eve!" After the two young Slytherins left the compartment, peace returned to the space shared by one girl and her owl. The rhythmic clunk-clunk of the train wheels on the tracks and the soft cooing of Famas, the long-eared owl, were the only sounds that filled the air. Eve let out a long sigh. "A year and a half... has the bullying finally ended? Started when they pleased, ended when they pleased." She fed Famas another piece of dried lizard, earning a satisfied hoot from the owl, before shifting her gaze back to the book resting on her lap. It was a thick, hard-covered tome—so large that it could easily double as a makeshift table. The pages inside were aged and yellowed, and every letter and punctuation mark carried the weight of history, etched deeply with the aura of ancient knowledge. If one were to turn to the cover, they would find bold lettering that read: "What is a Vampire? Step into the Mysterious World of Dark Magical Creatures with Dil Cardulansa!" Clearly, it was a book about vampires. "I know what you're thinking as you read this... Vampires are terrifying, right? You're not wrong. They're strange and secretive, their skin pale as parchment. Sensitive to most scents and utterly unapologetic about sharing their wicked hobbies. Vampires, by all accounts, seem utterly insufferable. Don't pretend you don't think so." "If you happen to befriend a vampire, then I pity you. They never remember anniversaries—or even their own birthdays. These long-lived creatures have no real concept of time. You might not see them for over a year, only for them to later explain, with complete nonchalance, that they overslept... in their coffin!" "But before we continue venting about all the ways vampires can irritate us, perhaps it's worth reconsidering... Are vampires truly evil?" "Let's get to the point, folks. Today, I'm going to guide you through the different types of vampires and clear up your misconceptions. At the very least, I hope no one reading this will scream like an idiot at the mere sight of a vampire. That reaction is so outdated." "First things first—if you want to understand vampires, you need to know the difference between the Secret Sect and the Dark Sect." "Surprising, isn't it? You might think vampires are nothing more than dusty old immortals who sleep in coffins, hopelessly out of touch with the modern world. But let me tell you, that's far from the truth. Vampires have a deeply ingrained sense of family and clan, so much so that individualism among them is nearly nonexistent. For long-lived beings, love and hatred fade easily. Unless you insult their pride, it's remarkably difficult to provoke their ire. So why do vampires attack Muggles? The answer lies in their clan's ideology." **"Rule number one: Stay away from any vampire belonging to the Dark Sect. No vampire from the Dark Sect harbors any goodwill toward other species. They are the most dangerous and malevolent assassins in the world. We all know vampires can inject their blood into other creatures, transforming them into vampires. This process is romantically referred to as 'The First Embrace,' but in reality, it has a far grimmer name— The Binding." ~~~---------------------- Patreon Advance Chapters: patreon .com / HPdreame