Nolan ignored the owl and glanced at the letter.
The envelope was written in dark green ink:
Randall Gorge, Sistine Manor, Third Floor, First Coffin, Mr. Nolan Von Draugr.
"Well, that's strange. How do wizards know the name of the manor?" Nolan muttered irritably, feeling that his family's privacy had been invaded. Just as he was about to tear open the envelope, he paused. There was a crest on the seal, a magnificent "H," surrounded by lions, snakes, honey badgers, and eagles.
"Hogwarts?"
As someone familiar with the magical world, Nolan instantly recognized the crest. It belonged to the largest wizarding school in the UK, Hogwarts, where almost every wizard in the country attended.
"How enthusiastic. Their clever minds and insatiable collection habits are finally dissatisfied with recruiting werewolves and goblins. Now they're setting their sights on us, the bloodlines…"
He pulled out the contents of the envelope, revealing high-quality parchment with dark green magical ink. It read:
Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Albus Dumbledore
"Oh, of course, Albus Dumbledore, you old fool, the greatest of this century."
Dear Mr. Nolan Von Draugr,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed herewith you will find a list of required books and supplies. The term begins on September 1st. We eagerly await your owl by July 31st to receive your reply.
There was also a smaller note at the bottom:
If Mr. Von Draugr has any questions regarding his acceptance, please consult the great Lady Felicia. We sincerely hope she will persuade you to attend Hogwarts.
Also, please convey my regards to Lady Felicia.
Yours faithfully,
Albus Dumbledore
The next page contained a list of books and supplies:
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:
Uniforms First-year students require:
- Three sets of plain, dark-colored robes.
- A plain, everyday pointed hat.
- A pair of dragon hide gloves.
- A winter cloak.
Note: All students must have their names labeled on their clothing.
Books:
All students are required to have the following books:
- Standard Spellbook by Miranda Tonshaco
- History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
- Magical Principles by Adapoth Wofulin
- Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emerick Twei
- One Thousand Magical Plants and Fungi by Felida Supor
- Potioning Magic by Ascenis Giger
- Magical Creatures' Tracks by Newt Scamander
- Dark Magic—Self-Protection Guide by Quentin Chamber
Other Supplies:
A wand, a cauldron, a set of glass or crystal bottles, a pair of binoculars, a brass scale, and students may bring an owl, a cat, or a toad.
Nolan stared at the parchment, as though it held a portrait of his father's killer, silent for a long while.
After a long pause, he finally sneered and muttered, shaking with laughter, "Dumbledore actually expects a vampire to buy Magical Creatures' Tracks? A dark magical creature buying Dark Magic—Self-Protection Guide? Hey, Sheila, can you think of anything funnier than this in the entire century?"
The little white snake hissed, tapping the last line with its tail, seemingly annoyed that it wasn't mentioned as a permissible pet.
Nolan gently rubbed its tongue with his fingertip and murmured, "Don't worry, I'll take you with me no matter what. Dumbledore seems to be convinced I'll become one of his ridiculous wizards, walking around in ugly robes and a silly pointed hat every day. He must have some reason for thinking that…"
"Reason?"
Felicia, groggy from being woken up by her brother, climbed out of her coffin, rubbing her sleepy eyes. She let out a loud yawn before throwing herself onto Nolan, mumbling drowsily, "Don't worry about reasons. Sister is still so tired. Oh, look! I just noticed something! It's a coffin that can fit two vampires. But, well, a tall vampire would fill it up on their own, right? But look, look! This coffin can perfectly fit me, the slim Felicia, and my cute little brother. Isn't that fascinating?"
Nolan coldly pushed Felicia away as she kissed him on the lips, causing her to pout and plop down onto the floor with a soft "hmpf." He sighed, "If you can solve my problem, I might not mind sleeping with you for a month, Felicia."
"Really?" Felicia squealed in joy, jumping around the room like a child, despite being five hundred years old.
"Ah, the situation is actually quite simple."
Finally, the Grand Duchess Felicia, who had led the vampire race in England for over three centuries, spoke up.
When Voldemort rose to power, he tried to recruit vampires.
However, Albus Dumbledore, the white wizard and Voldemort's enemy, tried to persuade vampires not to serve the Dark Lord.
At the time, the shrewd businesswoman, Felicia, proposed a condition: if the Von Draugr family sided with the white wizards, they should be compensated.
Her demand was for magic, the kind wizards possessed.
Typically, vampires' greatest strength was their physical prowess. Though they greatly admired the dazzling magic of wizards, most vampires lacked the talent to be wizards. Even if a vampire occasionally had the potential to become one, the Von Draugr family couldn't provide the proper education.
So, Felicia and Dumbledore struck a deal: The Von Draugr family would not join Voldemort's side, and when a vampire with wizarding talent was born into the family, Hogwarts would actively invite them to enroll and help them become a competent wizard.
It was a deal that ensured success—after all, no matter how powerful he was, Voldemort couldn't touch the true Dark Lord. The Von Draugr family's role was just to stay out of the dogfight between the wizarding world factions. And in fact, a year after the agreement was signed, Voldemort made the foolish mistake of using the Killing Curse on a baby, ultimately causing his own downfall.
By the way, Voldemort's self-destruction had been a running joke at the Von Draugr family's gatherings for the past decade.
Nolan looked into Felicia's jet-black eyes. "So, in other words, me attending Hogwarts to study is your wish, Felicia?"
Felicia's expression turned serious, and for once, she spoke in a grave tone. "This is for the eternal continuation of our race, my dear Nolan. The world is heading into an age of decline. Muggles are growing stronger, and I can already see the coming collapse of the wizarding world. Before that happens, we must make a change. We have already overcome the weakness of sunlight, but silver can still kill us. We are not eternal, Nolan."
Nolan held Felicia's hand, feeling that these were words from her heart, words that she would rarely speak in her lifetime.