16: Eve's Setback

"I thought Hogwarts only sent acceptance letters to children of the appropriate age," Nolan said softly, meeting Professor McGonagall's gaze with a calm expression. "Perhaps you could discuss my age with my sister. You know, the memories of long-lived beings aren't particularly reliable."

Realizing he was indeed a child, Professor McGonagall let out a quiet breath of relief.

Her greatest fear had been standing in front of a vampire older than herself, yet fresh-faced like a young student.

Satisfied that he was the same age as the rest of the students, her tone softened. "I can't say I fully agree with Dumbledore's decision. You know, his methods are always… bold."

"Like appointing a half-giant?"

McGonagall's tone cooled. "We have reason to believe that Hagrid is safe. He is more suited to the role than you might think. He adores children, and, besides, he is only half-giant."

Nolan chuckled faintly. "If Professor McGonagall knew history better, she'd realize that even half-giants have caused more casualties in their short two-hundred-year lifespans than pureblood vampires have in ours. Like your wizards, we are accustomed to treating Muggles kindly."

"Your idea of 'kindness' is to invite Muggles into your homes, only to keep them as livestock for bloodletting?" McGonagall retorted sharply, then extended a hand toward a chair. "Please, take a seat, Mr. Von Draugr. I asked you to stay, not to debate vampire safety but to have a different conversation. I trust you don't mind sparing some time? After all, I doubt the food in the Great Hall appeals to your taste."

Nolan shrugged indifferently.

McGonagall sat across from him, conjuring two elegant goblets with her wand. The one placed in front of Nolan contained "tomato juice," which brought a rare smile to his face. Happily, he began drinking it.

"I've heard that vampire Transfiguration magic is rather unique," McGonagall began.

Nolan immediately understood her intentions. "We excel at altering our own forms but don't transform other things. It's somewhat similar to Animagus transformations, but Animagi seem to be restricted to a single form."

McGonagall nodded. "Exactly. Even for adult wizards, becoming an Animagus is a complex process, and very few succeed. Maintaining one's sanity after transforming into an animal is particularly challenging. Many wizards falter at that step, growing accustomed to life as a beast until someone takes pity on them and reverses the transformation."

After considering this, Nolan asked directly, "Professor, are you suggesting a study on vampire transformation magic?"

McGonagall offered a suggestion. "If we combined Animagus transformations with vampire shapeshifting, could we create an entirely new branch of Transfiguration magic? According to legend, vampires can assume multiple forms, like mist and bats, far surpassing the single form limitation of Animagi."

Nolan replied thoughtfully, "I think I could agree to such a proposal. My purpose in coming to Hogwarts is to expand my family's powers. Integrating vampire abilities with wizarding magic aligns with my goals. However, I would expect to receive at least half the rights to any new magical techniques developed."

McGonagall blinked at him before responding, "That's only fair."

After that, Nolan demonstrated two transformations for Professor McGonagall: a raven and a black wolf.

Yes, a wolf.

Contrary to popular belief, transforming into a wolf was never exclusive to werewolves. As natural enemies of werewolves, vampires had mastered this ability even earlier. The difference lay in the fact that werewolves were forcibly transformed into mindless beasts during the full moon, whereas vampires could perfectly control the primal instincts of a wolf.

By the time Nolan left the Transfiguration classroom, lunchtime was already over. The afternoon lessons were Herbology and History of Magic.

Herbology was taught by the Head of Hufflepuff, Professor Sprout. Slytherins and Ravenclaws attended this class together, which delighted Cho Chang when she learned about it. She eagerly dragged Nolan to the back row to whisper all about her experiences during her first day in Ravenclaw.

What caught her attention most seemed to be the upcoming Flying lessons. As Cho put it, riding a broomstick and soaring through the sky sounded incredibly cool.

"I'd rather be burned to ash by the sun than ride a stupid broomstick," Nolan muttered, rolling his eyes in resignation.

History of Magic was undoubtedly the dullest subject at Hogwarts. The professor, a ghost, never asked questions or expected answers. Instead, he monotonously recited information from the textbook.

Nolan spent the entire class figuring out how to slim down his gaming console enough to fit it into a book without damaging it. That way, he could have some entertainment during such monotonous lessons.

"Honestly, Hogwarts classes aren't too bad. Professor Binns doesn't care about us, Professor Sprout is kind, and while Professor McGonagall's a bit strict, I think we can manage," Miles remarked as he and Nolan walked through the black entrance to the Slytherin common room.

Inside, they found Eve sobbing loudly. It wasn't clear what she'd done wrong this time.

Two first-year girls were surrounding her, scolding her harshly.

"We ran into some Gryffindor first-years in the corridor earlier," Alicia, the only girl not scolding Eve, explained. "They mocked Eve for being the only one in Transfiguration who didn't complete the assignment."

Nolan nodded, gesturing toward Eve. "So, they think Eve embarrassed the Slytherin first-years?" He turned to Miles. "You didn't finish the task either, did you?"

"The Weasley twins didn't finish, nor did that Black kid, Lee Jordan!" Miles emphasized, trying to prove he wasn't the only one lagging behind.

"But witches are supposed to be better at Transfiguration than wizards," Alicia murmured quietly. "That's what the upper-years told us."

Nolan shook his head. He was the only one who knew that Eve came from a Muggle family, but he saw no reason to help her out of the situation.

At that moment, Eve, still sniffling, stammered, "I don't know. My parents are both Muggles. I only learned about magic two months ago…"

The other two girls froze.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and an enraged Malcolm Baddock stormed in. Pointing a furious finger at Eve, he yelled, "So you're a Mudblood! What mistake did the Sorting Hat make to let not only half-bloods but even a Mudblood into our house?" His voice rose to a hysterical pitch. "I'm going to Dumbledore! He should expel this Mudblood! Slytherin doesn't welcome Mudbloods or Squibs—everyone knows that!"

Eve looked terrified and confused.

She had no idea what "Mudblood" meant, only that it was clearly an insult. In fact, even Nolan wasn't familiar with the term. He had to ask Miles before he understood.

And then, he became... a bit angry.

"Calm down," Nolan said. "Whether she's pure-blood, half-blood, or Muggle-born, that's not something Eve can choose."

Malcolm's face turned red with rage, and he tried to shove Nolan aside, only to find he couldn't budge him. "Get out of the way, you idiot! Don't defend a Mudblood just because you're a half-blood! I might tolerate half-bloods as wizards, but Mudbloods are nothing but filthy Muggles!"

Nolan's expression darkened, his voice dropping to a chilling low. "Say that again…"

"Get out of my way, you half-blood—"