Chapter 13: 13: "What Makes You Qualified to Be a Professor?"

"That professor is so beautiful..." Eve said in an envious tone as she admired Felicia Von Draugr. "I wish I could be that pretty when I grow up." Nolan thought to himself, That's unlikely. Felicia Von Draugr had been unanimously regarded as the most beautiful vampire in their circles for the past five centuries. Connaught, the Slytherin prefect, looked intrigued. "She's absolutely stunning. If she weren't a professor but one of our classmates, I'd definitely pursue her. By the way, Von Draugr, you share the same last name with this captivating professor. Are you related?" At Connaught's question, all the Slytherins fixed their eyes on Nolan. He sighed and replied calmly, "She's my sister. But trust me, she's much older than she looks." The Slytherins exchanged knowing glances, their expressions a mix of surprise and understanding, before breaking into hushed whispers again. This year's Slytherin intake seemed extraordinarily fortunate. Not only did they have the ever-biased Head of House, Professor Snape, on their side, but now even the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor turned out to be one of their own. Nolan didn't bother speculating what the Slytherins were whispering about. He kept his gaze fixed on Felicia, who once again gave him a playful wink and a mischievous smile. After introducing the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Dumbledore made the students sing the off-key school song. When everything finally concluded, he announced the end of the feast and instructed the prefects to escort the new first-years to their dormitories. The newly appointed prefect Connaught straightened his back and shouted louder than the Gryffindor prefect, "First-years of Slytherin, follow me!" Eve, Malcolm Baddock, Alicia Field, Miles Bletchley, Montague Rockman, and the others chattered excitedly as they followed him. Nolan took a few steps with the group before veering off, heading toward Felicia, who stood by the entrance of the Great Hall with her arms crossed. He glared at the vampire duchess, irritation evident in his voice. "Felicia, if you were going to take this job, you should have told me in advance!" Felicia laughed like a playful girl, pinching Nolan's cheek. "Surprise!" Nolan brushed her hand away. "All surprise, no delight. By the way, how exactly are you qualified to be my professor when you can't even cast a basic Lumos spell?" "Obviously," Felicia said with a dramatic wink, striking a mock-heroic pose, "with pure brute strength!" Nolan rolled his eyes, unimpressed. Felicia smirked, her expression reminiscent of a mischievous mouse that had just stolen cheese. "I'll only be teaching for a year. I've got some fun lessons planned for you little ones. You'll find out soon enough!" Nolan turned to leave, but Felicia's next words stopped him in his tracks. "Nolan, I've been thinking... perhaps it's time to teach you the combat techniques of the Von Draugr clan." "Are you serious?" Nolan asked, his tone tinged with excitement as he turned back to face her. Each vampire lineage had its unique combat techniques. Strength alone wasn't enough; agility and skill were essential to fully harness their power. Among all vampire clans, the Von Draugrs were renowned masters of weaponry. They specialized in wielding cruciform exorcist crossbows and silver daggers to battle their kin. Nolan had long aspired to inherit the Von Draugr combat techniques, but Felicia had refused to teach him when he was younger, deeming his body too underdeveloped. Now, things were different. At 4'7" and with his vampire strength gradually awakening, Felicia decided it was time for her little brother to step into his legacy. Felicia winked with her left eye, her playful grin still intact. "Come to my office every Friday evening. If you're still as keen on the Von Draugr combat arts as before, I will teach you properly." Back in line, Miles Bletchley asked Nolan excitedly, "What did the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor say to you? It's so cool that you have a sister like her! She's even more beautiful than Veelas or pureblood elves!" Nolan replied blandly, "She explained to me why she accepted Dumbledore's invitation." Connaught, the prefect, looked curious. "But I've never heard of the Von Draugr family in Britain. Are you foreigners?" Nolan, uninterested in lying, replied nonchalantly, "Perhaps there are many secluded families you're unaware of." Connaught led the group of first-year Slytherins down the staircase. Slytherin's quarters were situated beneath the lake, around 30 meters underground, in a cool and damp environment. The path to the common room resembled a dungeon, with slimy, dripping stones everywhere. Water droplets hit the enchanted, ever-burning torches, causing the flames to flicker, making the corridor appear filled with dancing shadows. This eerie atmosphere terrified Eve. She clung to Nolan's robes with one hand and held Alicia Field's hand tightly with the other, her small chin almost tucked into her neck in fear. Connaught eventually stopped in front of a massive iron door. Embedded within it was a silver ring encircling a Möbius strip-shaped snake. The snake's eyes were emeralds, gleaming brightly as it hissed, "Password!" Connaught enunciated clearly, "Basilisk." "Correct," said the Möbius snake, spinning once and unlocking the door with a loud click. The black iron door swung open, and Connaught turned to address the first-years. "The Slytherin password changes at the beginning of each month. If you forget it, you can go to the Potions professor, who is also our Head of House, Professor Snape, in the dungeons. That said, if you don't want to be treated like an idiot by Professor Snape, you can wait outside until someone lets you in." The Slytherin common room was large and circular. The floor was made of obsidian-like tiles covered with green-and-white woolen rugs. The furniture was antique and elegant, with some pieces crafted from mahogany and others from marble. Lighting was provided exclusively by torches, whose flickering flames drove away the dampness. The smoke and fumes produced by the fire were magically removed, ensuring the air remained fresh and breathable. The most remarkable feature of the common room was its ceiling—it was transparent. Looking up, the students could see the shimmering blue water of the lake, with aquatic creatures occasionally gliding overhead. As Nolan and the others entered, a giant squid was trying to wrap its tentacles around the glittering roof. In the center of the common room stood a statue of Salazar Slytherin himself: a hook-nosed, stern-looking old man with a massive serpent coiled around him. This must have been the inspiration for the Slytherin crest.