Chapter 53: 53: The Vampire's Second Weapon

The leopard lunged at Nolan, who immediately cast Impedimenta. The slowing charm did little more than momentarily reduce the creature's speed. Nolan followed up with Petrificus Totalus, but the full-body bind failed to immobilize the leopard entirely. "Vampires and their obnoxious resistance to magic..." Nolan muttered, an ironic complaint coming from a pureblood vampire himself. Retracting his wand, he met the leopard head-on with his fists. Bang! The impact echoed like a thunderclap, the force rippling through the air. Nolan's pale, refined hands held the leopard's gaping jaws apart, preventing its fangs from snapping shut on him. The leopard snapped ferociously, while Nolan struck back relentlessly. Each punch reverberated with a metallic clang as it met the creature's seemingly impenetrable hide. Claws raked against Nolan's arms, sparks flying with each clash. Its fangs bit into his fists, eliciting an eerie creak. Gripping the leopard's head tightly, Nolan dashed forward with superhuman speed, slamming it into a tree with a resounding crash. The unfortunate tree trembled before collapsing. And then another tree. And another. One after another, the forest succumbed to the ferocity of their battle. Finally, Nolan drove the leopard into a protruding boulder, pinning it with his full weight. With a determined growl, he drew his silver dagger and plunged it downward. Clap, clap, clap. The sound of slow applause reached his ears. Startled, Nolan turned to see the rotund vampire stepping toward him, clapping as he approached. "Ahaha! Prince Nolan," the vampire chortled. "It seems Lady Felicia wasn't exaggerating. You've indeed made some progress over the past year. I was worried that your time at the wizarding school might dull your vampire instincts, but I see now that I underestimated you." With that, the vampire removed his hat. Nolan blinked, staring at the familiar face. His shoulders slumped slightly, and he muttered like a deflated balloon, "So it's Baron Dura... Which means this leopard must be Dalric, right? One stocky and one burly—I should've guessed. Losing my composure was my mistake." At that moment, the leopard reverted to its human form. Smiling sheepishly, he removed his disguise. Sure enough, it was Dalric. Both Baron Dura and Dalric were members of the Von Draugr family. Dura had once been a Muggle, while Dalric was an ancient vampire who had lived for over 4,000 years. The two had always been close to Felicia and her brother, and they were the ones who had taught Nolan the art of vampire transformation. Before Nolan entered the wizarding world, Baron Dura and Dalric had been his only companions. Nolan sighed wryly, watching Dalric heal his injuries with deliberate ease. There was no apology, nor was one expected. After all, it was these two fools who had insisted on testing him. Had they not, there would have been no reason for Nolan to fight Dalric. "Nolan!" A cheerful voice called out. It was Felicia. She arrived with her hands clasped behind her back, a playful grin on her face as she surveyed the group before her. "My, my! How delightful to see everyone gathered here. It feels just like Randall Gorge. Shall we threaten old Dumbledore to hand over Hogwarts? Then we could move in and make ourselves at home! Don't you think the scenery here is far better than ours? The Forbidden Forest is so lively, too!" Nolan allowed Grand Duchess Felicia to run up and give him a kiss, but he suddenly said, "It was your idea, wasn't it, Felicia? Letting Baron Dura and the others test my combat ability?" "Hehe, that's right! I wanted to see how much you've learned over the past year," Felicia admitted with a mischievous grin. "And it turns out you've done quite well. Nolan, transformation is the first and most fundamental weapon for vampires. It's a gift we all share. As for the Von Draugr family, our specialty lies in integrating transformation into combat techniques, just like you demonstrated earlier." Standing to the side, the burly vampire Dalric nodded in agreement. "Nolan's transformations are highly proficient. He's incredibly strong, remarkably fast, and his skin is so tough that even my teeth couldn't pierce it. I have to say, Nolan's a natural genius when it comes to transformation, though I suppose that's something you've all known for a while." "Of course!" Felicia puffed out her chest proudly, as if the praise were directed at her. "Still," Dalric added, "his combat technique needs work. Starting this year, you can begin teaching him combat skills, Your Grace." Felicia, however, didn't seem to be listening. The rotund Baron Dura let out a sly chuckle. "Haha, but isn't it true that Prince Nolan only pushed himself so hard because his little sweetheart was kidnapped? Looks like our prince is quite the romantic. Who knows, we might see a whole brood of little princes and princesses soon!" Felicia's cheeks puffed up indignantly as she jabbed a finger at Baron Dura. "You! This is all your fault! I've been wondering why my little Nolan has such a way with girls—it's because of you! You pig! Stop teaching him those useless tricks to charm women! My Nolan doesn't need that nonsense to live a happy life!" Baron Dura rubbed his hands awkwardly. "But it's part of a vampire gentleman's basic etiquette..." "I don't care! Nolan has me, his sister! That's all he needs!" "Don't be like that, Felicia," Nolan interjected, gently prying her off him. He took Eve from Baron Dura and examined her closely. Seeing that she was unharmed and merely asleep, he finally relaxed. "She looks like a little princess when she's asleep..." Felicia giggled, poking Eve's cheeks playfully. Ignoring the heated argument about whether or not Nolan should be taught how to woo women, Dalric turned to Nolan and said, "You've mastered the first weapon of a vampire—transformation. Next, while learning combat techniques, you can begin preparing for your second weapon." Nolan's eyes lit up. "The Magic Eye?" The Magic Eye, in simple terms, referred to eyes imbued with magical power. Not all vampires favored this ability; many preferred more brutal fighting styles. However, the elegant Von Draugr family thought otherwise. To them, the Magic Eye was a versatile tool. With it, they could easily control Muggles to do their bidding or wield its unique properties in battle, depending on the eye's type. Vampires weren't born with Magic Eyes—they had to be cultivated through specific methods. Creating a Magic Eye was a lengthy process, and mastering its use took even longer. Nolan had always wanted a Magic Eye of his own, but Felicia had repeatedly told him that it wasn't time yet. Now, it seemed, the time had finally come. Felicia hugged Nolan tightly. "Yes, yes! We must prepare the finest Magic Eye for you. Over the next year, I'll teach you proper combat techniques. Your job will be to continue building your strength and creating new kin. Don't rush, Nolan. Your path is a long one, and your sister will always be by your side... Isn't your sister the best?" Once Baron Dura and Dalric had left, Nolan carried Eve back to the Slytherin common room. "Oh, Merlin above! Where did you find her?" To his surprise, Alicia was waiting for him there. She took Eve from his arms, her face lighting up with a mix of joy and relief. Nolan mumbled a vague reply, intending to retreat to his room and sleep. But Alicia's soft, pensive voice stopped him in his tracks. "I've started to see you differently, Nolan. In the past, you always basked in Eve and Cho's kindness but never seemed willing to do anything for them. Honestly, I used to think you were awful. But now, I know you're not a bad person. You're just... a bit of a fool. If I were you, I'd take better care of Eve. She has no one but you." ~~~---------------------- Patreon Advance Chapters: patreon .com / HPdreame