**"Professor Dracula, Minerva is very displeased with you."**
In the headmaster's office, Dumbledore looked at the silver-haired man before him with a helpless expression.
"I remember reminding you at the start of the school year to be mindful of the professors' image and not to jump out of windows," he said. "But how did you end up jumping with the young witches and wizards?"
Dracula, however, lounged indifferently on the soft couch, a blood-flavored lollipop in his mouth, casually stroking the feathers of Fawkes the phoenix.
"So, does Professor McGonagall want to expel me?" he glanced at Dumbledore and asked nonchalantly.
"Expulsion is out of the question; it would be difficult for us to find another Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Dumbledore shook his head. "But if there are no repercussions this time, I won't be able to justify it to Minerva..."
"Well, if there has to be a punishment, I have no objections," Dracula said understandingly.
Dumbledore seemed to sigh in relief and took out the staff handling notification form from his drawer.
Just then, Dracula spoke again:
"And also, please settle the rent for Hogwarts Castle. Excluding the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake, the castle and its facilities occupy about a thousand acres. Considering we've been colleagues for a few months, I'll give you a discounted rate of one million Galleons per year."
He extended a hand towards Dumbledore.
The old headmaster's expression froze. He silently put the handling notification form back into the drawer and handed over a package with a honey duke's label.
"Ahem, Professor Dracula, I believe there's still room for negotiation with Professor McGonagall," he said, adopting a serious tone. "This is specially crafted blood ganache chocolate, something a vampire would likely enjoy."
"You can enjoy it here while I go discuss this with Professor McGonagall again."
Watching Dumbledore hurriedly leave the office, Dracula chuckled softly.
He contentedly unwrapped the blood ganache chocolate and popped a blood-red piece into his mouth.
---
Unconsciously, Christmas break was approaching.
Professor McGonagall had already compiled the list of students staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. At a pre-holiday dinner, she went around the Gryffindor table with the parchment listing the names, checking each student's confirmation.
Dracula happened to pass by and took a curious glance.
Seeing Dracula, Professor McGonagall's face became slightly uncomfortable.
Since her conversation with Dumbledore, McGonagall had stopped paying attention to Dracula's "unique" teaching methods and had not mentioned any punishment again. Her attitude towards Dracula had drastically changed, no longer seeing him merely as an ordinary professor.
From Dracula's perspective, Dumbledore had probably informed the diligent Deputy Headmistress of his true identity. And the fair and impartial Deputy Headmistress had ultimately succumbed to the pressure, choosing to compromise between the annual one million Galleons rent and turning a blind eye to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor's unconventional methods.
After all, not everyone can afford an annual rent of one million Galleons.
Moreover, compared to many previous Defense Against the Dark Arts professors, Dracula's teaching methods could be considered unique, but his competence was beyond reproach.
"Fred Weasley, George Weasley? Are you two also planning to stay at school?" Professor McGonagall forced herself to ignore Dracula, asking the two red-haired twins.
"Yes, Professor!" Fred replied. "Our parents are going to Romania to visit our older brother Charlie, so they've abandoned us!"
"That's right, abandoned George and Fred are left with no choice but to beg Hogwarts for shelter," George added pitifully.
Professor McGonagall nearly lost her stern demeanor, giving the twins a sharp look before turning back to check the information of other students.
After McGonagall left, Dracula approached.
"Your parents are going to Romania?" he asked.
Dracula crossed his hands, fingers unconsciously rubbing his collar. A rare look of hesitation appeared on his face.
"Yes, Professor," George replied. "Our older brother Charlie works in the Romanian Dragon Reserve."
"That's right, Charlie is our parents' real child!" Fred added.
Dracula hesitated for a moment before finally retrieving a delicate crystal ball from his magically expanded pocket.
The crystal ball emitted a soft glow, with a dim moon-like figure slowly rotating in the center.
"Here, write a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley asking them to do me a favor," Dracula said, gazing at the crystal ball and slowly handing it to George. "Once they reach Romania, have them go to the Brown Castle and give this crystal ball to the castle's guards."
"Just give it to any guard? No accompanying letter?" George asked, puzzled.
"No need for a letter. Any guard will understand," Dracula said with a light chuckle, shaking his head. "I owe you a favor. If you need anything, just let me know."
"Sure, we'll take care of it!" The twins were overjoyed, patting their chests in assurance.
Just then, a heated argument erupted at the other end of the Gryffindor table—
---
Two minutes earlier, Professor McGonagall had just finished checking the list of students staying for Christmas and left the hall.
As soon as she left, a Slytherin student with neatly combed platinum hair, a sharp chin, and a tall, thin build intentionally walked over to the Gryffindor table.
This Slytherin student was flanked by two burly followers who looked less intelligent, one on each side, making him appear quite imposing.
"I really feel sorry for those people," Draco Malfoy said to his followers, Crabbe and Goyle, while walking beside the Gryffindor table. "They have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because their families don't want them."
He spoke while looking at Harry, and Crabbe and Goyle snickered beside him.
Harry kept his head down, swallowing his pudding, and ignored them. But Ron couldn't take it any longer and stood up abruptly.
While Fred and George jokingly said they were abandoned, Malfoy, as the heir of the Weasleys' nemesis, made such remarks in a problematic way.
Ron charged at Malfoy and got into a scuffle with the two large followers.