The sound of wings flapping echoed, and an owl clutching a newspaper flew in.
"The newspaper's a bit late today."
Zhao Lun said, placing the money into a bag before sending the owl on its way, and then turned his attention to the newspaper.
The Prophet Daily, which usually reported on events in the magical world, was delayed today. The content had likely been altered, with parts of it being re-arranged. If his guess was correct, there would be news related to their town.
Opening the paper, he found an article about them, though the focus was different. It spoke about the origin of vampires.
Vampires had many branches. The most famous were those who, having sold their souls to the devil, became cursed and fed on blood, particularly the blood of pure-hearted young girls. Over time, these vampires multiplied and formed their own clan.
There were also those who became vampires due to some mutation, often brought on by viruses or other forms of energy radiation. This formed another branch.
A third type was created through forbidden means, such as mixing curses with viruses or other illicit methods, which resulted in a hybrid form of vampirism.
Although vampires shared certain traits, their weaknesses and strengths could vary greatly depending on their branch.
The demon-like vampire that had attacked them belonged to the first branch, one that had been passed down through generations. Its strength was average compared to others of its kind.
In the West, vampires had been particularly active, causing many incidents and giving rise to numerous legends.
They had also been targeted by various factions, and nowadays, they had learned to lie low.
Recently, a group of vampires who had followed the Dark Lord during his reign and committed atrocities had once again retreated into hiding after his disappearance.
Secretly, vampires and wizards had learned not to target each other anymore, except for occasional small conflicts, everything was kept within a manageable scope.
The recent appearance of vampires was deemed to be part of such a localized conflict.
Why hadn't the Ministry of Magic acted? Fudge... followed by his typical comforting words, with promises that Aurors would protect the wizards from harm. All flowery words, but no substantial action.
"Ugh, they're all just politicians."
Zhao Lun tossed the paper aside, his expectations of Fudge, the Minister of Magic, now completely gone.
His words were as polished as any Muggle president's, nothing more than a power-hungry career politician who would make many "wise" decisions to secure his seat. Once again, The Prophet Daily had aided him in boasting about his so-called brilliance.
He had no respect for people like this—those with no strength, no intelligence, immense ambition, and no self-awareness. From now on, Zhao Lun would handle him differently.
Whoosh! The sound of powerful wings flapping signaled the arrival of another owl. Judging by the sound, this was the same owl that had delivered a letter here before.
Indeed, it was the Hogwarts owl.
Dear Mr. Allen Zhao,
The school is aware of your situation and has some concerns. We are currently addressing the issue and organizing a response to the vampire invasion. Wizards will be dispatched to deal with it shortly.
In light of the attack you suffered, the school has granted permission for you to use your wand for self-defense.
Hogwarts, Deputy Headmistress,
Minerva McGonagall
Zhao Lun felt a warmth in his heart upon reading the letter. He hadn't expected Hogwarts to be so dedicated to protecting its students. Though he didn't say anything out loud, he had already made a mental note to remember this favor.
In the afternoon, not long after, a strange wind blew through the estate, and several wizards materialized out of thin air.
"Woof! Woof!"
"Screech!"
The pets' fur stood on end, ready to attack.
"Stop!" Zhao Lun commanded, then looked at the unexpected guests.
Among the wizards, Zhao Lun recognized two—Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall.
Seeing them, Zhao Lun was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected the two professors to come all the way here, indicating that Hogwarts took his situation very seriously.
As for the others he didn't know, Zhao Lun could only recognize one, while the rest were unfamiliar. The ones he recognized were only known through the original texts.
This particular wizard had a disfigured face, covered in scars, his nose was gone, and one of his eyes was artificial. His appearance was rather repulsive.
He had a prosthetic leg, leaned on a cane, and his fake eye darted around, constantly scanning the estate with a vigilant air. Clearly, he was a highly cautious person.
Mad-Eye Moody! What stuck in Zhao Lun's memory was how a fake Moody had once impersonated him so convincingly, leaving a deep impression on him among readers.
Their arrival startled the pets. Had Zhao Lun not intervened, they likely would have attacked.
The pets were unusually alert, far more than normal, and they attracted the attention of the wizards, who kept their eyes on them.
"Good afternoon, professors."
Zhao Lun greeted them politely.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Allen," Professor McGonagall replied, as always, with her formal tone.
Snape remained his usual brooding self, ignoring Zhao Lun's greeting and continuing to observe the estate. When his eyes fell on some rare plants from the divine realm, his normally vacant eyes seemed to stir.
As a master of potions, Snape was familiar with many plants in the world, but these were unlike any he had ever seen before.
Though the battle from the previous night had been repaired, the plants hadn't fully recovered, and some areas were left empty. Snape approached to inspect them.
The commotion didn't disturb anyone else. Zhao Lun had already made sure that unnecessary people were kept away, even sending Nicole and the others to the perimeter. The only people present now were the wizards.
"Brother!"
Just as Zhao Lun was thinking about them, he heard a shout. Turning around, he saw Maria, followed by Nicole, Monica, and Angela.
The three ladies were a stunning sight. Wherever they went, they commanded attention. The three nodded in greeting to the guests and then offered tea and snacks. Whether or not they were eaten, the gesture was made with proper etiquette.
"You're not listening, running out again!"
Zhao Lun gently scolded the little girl as he ruffled her hair.
"Professors, please have some tea."
Zhao Lun said, taking out a cup and lifting the lid. The fragrance of the tea filled the air, becoming even more aromatic.
The tea leaves came from the divine realm, and the water used for brewing was from the divine realm as well, infused with the essence of the spring water. When the tea was served, the aroma enveloped everyone, refreshing their senses and making them feel more invigorated.
No one seemed distracted by the lovely scenery or the tea's fragrance. All eyes were on the little girl who had appeared at the start. (To be continued.)