Harry Potter: The Vampire Prince

"Nolan, that was way too harsh!"

"Exactly! All this just for Professor Felicia's kiss? You went too far!"

"My nose… my poor nose…"

For the entire next day, the Slytherin first-years grumbled incessantly at Nolan. During the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Nolan had shown no mercy. Not only had he unleashed advanced spells that many of them had never seen before, but he also resorted to landing solid punches.

The result? Not a single student managed to earn a kiss from Professor Felicia. Naturally, the young Slytherins were up in arms over their dashed hopes.

To avoid their complaints, Nolan sought refuge in the office of Ancient Runes Professor Bathsheda Babbling, spending an enjoyable afternoon in her company.

"Oh, Nolan, my dear," Professor Babbling said fondly, stroking his hair. "I can't wait for you to advance to your third year so you can finally take my class. You wouldn't believe how rare it is to find a promising student interested in runes these days. And among those, it's even rarer to find someone with real talent. Nolan, I hope you'll choose my class in the future, and I promise to be both your dedicated teacher and your steadfast friend."

"I will, Professor Babbling," Nolan replied softly, nodding obediently. He then pulled out a silver pocket watch from his pocket to check the time. "Oh, it's about time for me to head back to my dorm. If I'm late, Filch will block me in the corridors again. It wouldn't be the first time. Filch seems to have a personal vendetta against me; I have no idea why he dislikes me so much."

"That's such a shame, my dear. And what a lovely watch you have," Babbling remarked.

"Is it?" Nolan glanced at her, his usual calm expression softening slightly with a trace of delight. "It was a gift from a friend—my favorite Christmas present. I think it suits me perfectly."

The pocket watch was a gift from Eve.

By the time Nolan returned to the Slytherin common room, it was already late.

Most of the Slytherins had gone back to their dormitories to rest, leaving only a few students still huddled by the fireplace, poring over their homework.

"Nolan, where have you been?"

Waiting on the sofa with an air of boredom was Alicia.

"I was with Professor Babbling. She taught me quite a bit today. According to her, with a bit more practice, I'll soon be able to craft magical artifacts myself," Nolan said, his tone as even as ever.

"You're back so late," Alicia remarked, frowning slightly in disapproval. "We thought Filch had caught you."

"When has Filch ever managed to catch me? He never will," Nolan replied as he began organizing the new knowledge he had gained that day. His tone was casual but firm.

Alicia hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Eve hasn't come back yet."

"What? But it's already nine o'clock."

"I thought…" Alicia muttered dreamily, "the two of you went on a date."

Nolan pondered for a moment. "No, I haven't seen Eve since dinner. But I know she's been studying really hard lately. She's probably in the library and lost track of time—or maybe she's with one of the professors. Besides, I don't date little girls. She's still too young."

Alicia raised an eyebrow. "That's what you say. But I need to go find her quickly. Eve can't afford to lose points for Slytherin."

In Slytherin, no matter who else might lose points, Eve couldn't afford to. Even if she lost just one point for daydreaming in class, she'd return to the common room only to face scorn and relentless bullying. It was something she always tried to avoid.

Checking his pocket watch again, Nolan said, "You stay here. I'll go find her—I know where she might be." With that, he turned and left the common room.

Nolan assumed he'd find the young witch in the library, but he was wrong. Instead, he walked into the middle of a heated battle between Madam Pince and Peeves. Lately, Peeves seemed to have discovered a new hobby—pulling books off the shelves and scattering them everywhere, which sent Madam Pince scurrying around like a house-elf, muttering irritably while attempting to restore order.

Nolan's timing couldn't have been worse. He arrived just as Madam Pince, clutching a thick, monstrous tome, was in hot pursuit of Peeves.

"Good evening, Madam Pince," Nolan greeted awkwardly, unable to ignore the usually composed librarian's furious outburst.

"Oh, heavens, Mr. Von Draugr, what are you doing here so late? The library is closed, and as you can see… I'm dealing with a pest problem."

"Dealing with pests can sometimes be quite simple," Nolan replied, pulling a small bottle of milky white liquid from his pocket and handing it to her. "This is a diluted holy water solution, typically used by monks to repel evil spirits."

"Thank you, dear boy." Overjoyed, Madam Pince sprinkled the holy water onto Peeves, who immediately let out a string of curses before disappearing into the wall. "Marvelous! I haven't felt such peace in ages. Now then, Mr. Von Draugr, what book are you looking for?"

"I'm not here for a book, Madam Pince," Nolan replied. "I'm just checking to see if Eve is here."

"Miss Stock?" Madam Pince paused to think. "She did come by after dinner to return a book—The Structure and Unfinished Theories of 18th-Century Classical Magic by Giorno D'Asco. It's an excellent book. I hope she found it useful; it could benefit her immensely."

Nolan glanced at the cover. "It does look fascinating."

But now wasn't the time for reading.

If Eve wasn't in the library, where could she be?

Nolan proceeded to question Professors Flitwick and McGonagall, but neither of them had seen her. Finally, he sought out Professor Snape, only to be chased out by the Potions Master, who was wearing pink pajamas and wielding a vial of foul-smelling concoction.

Eventually, Nolan made his way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The moment he opened the door, he knew he was on the right track. His vampire senses quickly picked up Eve's lingering scent—a tantalizing fragrance of purity and the rich aroma of young, fresh blood that never failed to captivate him.

Professor Felicia wasn't in the classroom, but something was clearly wrong. Nolan noticed signs of a struggle, and he could tell they weren't left over from a lesson.

The trail of the scuffle led to the windowsill, where the window was wide open. Shoe prints marked the ledge, and two drops of blood were visible—undeniably Eve Stock's.

"Eve's been kidnapped? Why?"

There was no time to dwell on questions. In one swift movement, Nolan stepped onto the ledge and leaped into the darkness.

The next moment, his form shifted into that of a massive black raven. With a powerful beat of his wings, he soared into the night sky.

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