Chapter 36: 36: The Chang Family

Nolan did not manage to find a dark elf before Christmas. 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." ~~~---------------------- Patreon Advance Chapters: patreon .com / HPdreame