Chapter 48: The Noble Bloodline Elixir

In early May, Hogwarts students found themselves busier than ever, and the first-year students were no exception. They were all preparing for their end-of-year exams.

Miles, it seemed, didn't enjoy the tense atmosphere of this period. Perhaps it was because he was naturally restless, or perhaps it was due to his consistently poor quiz scores in every class. Miles frequently tried to lure the first-years studying diligently in the common room to give up and join him for some fun at the Quidditch pitch. Unfortunately for him, anyone in their right mind was unlikely to pay him any attention.

Slytherin, as a house that highly valued honor, had gained a significant number of points this year thanks to Nolan's exceptional performance. Even if they lost their final Quidditch match against Ravenclaw, they were poised to win the House Cup. At such a critical juncture, few Slytherins were willing to jeopardize their standing with poor grades and tarnish their house's reputation.

As a result, the seat beside Nolan had become quite popular lately. First-years eagerly sought his guidance on perfecting spells like the Levitation Charm and Transfiguration, while some upper-year students tried to extract hints about possible exam questions from Professor Felicia's younger brother.

However, the young wizards were soon shocked to discover that the idolized Nolan Von Draugr wasn't as academically perfect as they had imagined.

"History of Magic? Why on earth would I need to know when the house-elves rebelled?" Nolan exclaimed in disbelief when asked such questions, staring at the other student as though they were daft. "The past ten Ministers for Magic? What idiotic things they each did? No, thanks—I have zero interest."

Montague gave an awkward laugh. "Nolan, if you'd just put some effort into History of Magic, you'd be a shoo-in for the top score across all subjects this year."

But Nolan shook his head lightly. "Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Herbology, Astronomy, and Defense Against the Dark Arts—I can find reasons to study each of these. But History of Magic? Sorry, I didn't come to Hogwarts to memorize dull facts like an idiot."

The younger Slytherins were noncommittal about Nolan's stance.

Perhaps it was true that not many young wizards enjoyed History of Magic, but Slytherin prided itself on results. As long as you scored high on exams, what happened in between… Who would care?

One day, Nolan finally managed to shake off the crowd of students pestering him for tutoring in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Gathering up his robe and coat, he made his way to the Potions preparation room, which also served as Professor Snape's office, located in the dungeons.

Nolan knocked on the door and waited patiently until the greasy-haired professor's curt "Come in" invited him inside. "Good afternoon, Professor Snape. I believe I require your assistance."

Snape was busy preparing the roots of asphodel, slicing them into fine threads to extract their essence for a revealing potion. He suspected the Weasley twins had been using a Disillusionment Charm to evade detection lately.

Snape cast a cold glance at Nolan and, without speaking, motioned toward a chair with a slight tilt of his chin.

Nolan understood and obediently sat down, waiting quietly for about ten minutes as Snape completed the final step of his work. The revealing potion transformed into a beautiful pale blue hue.

"Absolutely perfect, Professor Snape," Nolan murmured, admiring the result. "The purity is remarkable. I'd wager that even a goblin couldn't remain invisible before you with just a single drop of this."

There was no denying Snape's expertise; his skill in potion-making was why he held the post of Potions Master at Hogwarts.

Snape's lips twitched slightly, holding back a sarcastic retort. Instead, he coolly began organizing the leftover ingredients into their respective containers. "Do you have questions about your coursework, Mr. Von Draugr? If this is another request for a potion to prank someone, like last time, I will not hesitate to assign you detention."

"I simply wanted to show you the fruits of my research this term."

Nolan pulled a small vial from his pocket, its contents a vivid, blood-red potion.

Snape quickly strode over, snatched the vial from Nolan's hand, removed the wooden stopper, and sniffed it carefully. "African violets, burdock, broom, water nymph ash, and… vampire blood?"

"More precisely, it's 'Ancestor' blood. And there are also thirteen milder stabilizing ingredients mixed in," Nolan explained.

"Ancestor blood?" Professor Snape frowned deeply, moving briskly to the workbench. He pulled out a small white mouse, applied a single drop of the crimson potion to it, and observed. The mouse twitched violently for a moment before dying just seconds later.

"This is a failure," Snape declared icily.

Nolan, however, shook his head. "No, it's a success. I call it the Noble Bloodline Elixir. When consumed, it grants a wizard the physical traits of a vampire for an entire day."

Snape's voice turned even colder. "Put away your impractical fantasies. No wizard can withstand such power. This foolish concoction will cause a wizard's blood to boil, evaporate entirely, and leave them a desiccated corpse."

Nolan shrugged. "The potion does seem too potent. I need to dilute it, but I'm not sure how."

Snape furrowed his brow, tapping a finger rhythmically on the desk as he thought deeply. After a long pause, he said, "I can help you refine this potion. However, Ancestor blood is not easy to come by. I'll need at least two liters."

Nolan grimaced. "More blood? Felicia is going to nag me again."

At that moment, a knock came at the door, followed by a girl's voice from outside. "Professor Snape, are you there?"

Snape cast a sidelong glance at Nolan and said coldly, "It's your little girlfriend."

Nolan froze. "Cho?"

"The other one."

"Eve?"

Snape's expression grew peculiarly amused. He secured the vial of Noble Bloodline Elixir and called out, "Come in."

Sure enough, the girl who entered was a young witch with striking silver hair. As she walked in, she said, "Professor Snape, I've finished the assignment you gave us last time. It gave me a lot of inspiration. By changing the configuration slightly, I was able to achieve completely different results. I've created seven variations of burn-healing salve. Two of them are the most effective, but one is blue, the other orange. One is odorless, while the other has a terrible smell. Their magical properties are completely opposite, and I can't figure out what I did wrong… Oh, Merlin! Nolan, what are you doing here?"

Nolan explained quietly, "I'm working on a new potion and need Professor Snape's help."

"Oh, I see…" Eve stammered, flustered. She quickly placed a thick stack of notes on the desk. "I won't disturb you, then…"

With that, she hurried out, almost stumbling over herself in her haste.

Nolan watched her retreating figure with a puzzled expression. Snape, meanwhile, had begun flipping through the notes Eve had left behind. After skimming two pages, he gave a barely perceptible nod and tossed the stack onto the desk in front of Nolan.

"Von Draugr, take a look at this."

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