Chapter 38: The Secret of the Vampire
"As for Lockhart's Traveling with a Vampire, while it's entertaining, treat it like a novel," Alexander prompted, smirking. "Lockhart claimed a vampire could only eat lettuce. What a joke!"
"Elder Walpole? Who is he?" Kate asked curiously.
"A madman in the best sense," Alexander said with admiration. "He risked his life to live among vampires disguised as a Muggle, all for the sake of writing a book. He's a member of the Slug Club and has been visiting Dumbledore lately—hoping to get permission to interview Harry Potter for a Harry Potter Biography."
"Do vampires only suck blood?" Kate asked with half a chocolate frog in her mouth.
"Actually, vampires can eat plenty of things. Sucking blood is more of a cursed compulsion than a necessity," Alexander replied. "Believe it or not, they can even eat garlic. They just hate it instinctively and avoid it, which is why so few know the truth. And at Honeydukes, there's even a bloody lollipop—it's super popular with vampire students."
"Seriously?" Kate gasped.
Time passed quickly, as if Alexander and Kate were tucked away in a pocket of time, separated from the rest of the world.
Before they knew it, two hours had flown by. At 8 PM, soft music floated out of the bat-shaped lamp overhead. The table in the entertainment room split down the middle, and a small black coffin rose from it.
With a soft creak, crimson broth seeped from the cracks, and the coffin slowly opened to reveal a hearty red beef stew, surrounded by warm bread.
Honestly, the setup reminded Alexander of iron pot goose stew. The bread lining the edges looked just like a pastry crust.
"Mr. Smith, good evening. After dinner, please press the bell to your left. The table will revert to its original form," came the voice of the hook-nosed wizard who had guided them earlier.
The stew smelled rich and savory, like tomato-braised beef brisket with Romanian spices and creamy butter.
Kate grimaced. "I shouldn't have eaten all those snacks…" she mumbled, full.
Unlike Kate, Alexander had anticipated this meal and only snacked lightly beforehand. Once the awkward silence passed, he reached over and gently pressed his hand to Kate's fuzzy lion-print pajamas.
"Hey! What are you doing? I'll tell Penelope!" Kate's face turned scarlet.
But soon enough, she realized his intent. Her bloated feeling vanished like a receding tide, and hunger quickly returned.
"Alexander, how did you do that?" Kate asked, wide-eyed.
"That's a secret," he said with a mischievous smile. "Now eat up."
"You cheeky brat!" Kate pouted but soon dug in.
After dinner, Alexander pulled out a copy of Guide to Medieval Witchcraft. Together, they flipped through pages, occasionally discussing odd magical trivia.
By 11 PM, the bat lamp dimmed. Kate yawned, stretched, and headed to the bathroom to wash up. Alexander remained energetic. With a Constitution stat of 31, he could easily forgo rest; only his mind tired.
Still, he kept to certain mortal habits—eating, washing, sleeping.
He pulled out his toiletries from his enchanted pouch and quickly freshened up. Then, instead of waiting for Kate to finish, he changed into dragon-print pajamas featuring an Australian Opaleye and headed for the bedroom.
The bedroom resembled a lavish coffin. A silky, blood-red bed dominated the space—large enough for five people.
He tapped the edge and cast a wandless cleansing charm before reclining. With no interesting entertainment in the magical world—no internet, no online games—Alexander sighed and picked up the Daily Prophet again.
Despite magical marvels that felt like immersive games, the wizarding world still lacked the digital energy of the 21st century. While the train carriage décor was fascinating to wizards, to Alexander it was just... mildly novel.
Sometimes, he craved the feeling of logging on or playing an RPG. But in the end, outside of studying magic, he was just a chill soul. If he had been more ambitious in his past life, he wouldn't have been a nobody.
Soon, Kate returned with a change of clothes and a fluffy lion-print nightgown. She clutched a giant lion plushie and hesitated before walking in.
Just a seven-year-old boy here. Don't overthink it, she told herself.
"Kate, do you really like fuzzy stuff that much?" Alexander teased.
"What's wrong with that? It's comfy!" Kate retorted, forgetting her nerves. She lay down on the other side of the bed, pulled out Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century from her plushie, and mimicked Alexander's reading posture.
They read in silence, with only the occasional sound of turning pages. At some point, Alexander glanced over. Kate had dozed off, using her book as a pillow.
Stretching slightly, Alexander leaned back, closed his eyes, and began meditating. His magic flowed through him, refining itself into pure vitality—an exercise he dubbed Calling of Time, his own version of physical-boosting meditation practiced in sleep.
Romania, a country in southeastern Europe, bordered Hungary and Serbia to the west, Bulgaria to the south, and Ukraine and Moldova to the north and northeast. Its capital, Bucharest, was home to an ancient magical castle.
This old vampire castle—hidden from Muggle eyes through diversion enchantments—was a key attraction on the horror-themed magical tour, available only through an expensive upgrade.
Behind the castle lay the famed habitat of the Romanian Longhorn dragon—the largest and most vital dragon reserve in the world. From the castle's upper tower, travelers could watch these black-green-scaled beasts with golden horns hunting and playing in the wild.
It was an unforgettable sight for any wizard.
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