Dark Deals: The Vampire Who Owns Hogwarts

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As dawn broke over Hogwarts Castle, the night faded, and the stars dimmed one by one. A ray of sunlight pierced the thinning clouds, slanting through the dense canopy of the Forbidden Forest.

Despite the serenity on the surface, a heavy tension loomed deep within the forest.

"Hagrid, open your eyes! Look at your friends—look at Ronan's pain!" Bain's stern voice echoed as he stared at Hagrid's rugged, unshaven face. "Do you still think that such a cruel being is just a harmless Hogwarts professor?"

Hagrid hesitated. His loyalty to Dracula, a figure trusted by Dumbledore, warred with the centaurs' accusations. However, his belief in Dumbledore's judgment outweighed his doubts.

His resolve hardened. "Professor ain't like that," Hagrid mumbled, his thick accent brimming with defiance.

Bain's expression darkened. The tension between the half-giant and the centaur grew palpable. Hagrid's attempts to reason failed, his words clumsy and inarticulate. Frustrated, his face reddened as he rolled up his sleeves, ready for a brawl.

But just as the confrontation was about to escalate, the circle of centaurs parted, creating a passage.

"Enough, Bain!"

A centaur with striking features stepped through the opening. His silver-maned body shimmered in the dappled sunlight, and his white-blond hair framed a face both calm and commanding.

"Firenze?" Bain's voice carried both confusion and frustration.

Firenze's sapphire-blue eyes glinted with restrained anger. "We struck first, Bain. We cannot fault them for fighting back." he said, his tone even but firm. "The war ahead demands unity, not fighting in between. Blaming innocents based on old prejudices will only aid our true enemies!"

"You speak of unity, yet you defy the will of the heavens!" Bain snapped, his voice rising. "Have you not seen the planetary alignments? The omens are clear!"

Ronan, still lying injured nearby, pawed nervously at the snow. Bain's words had struck a chord, and uncertainty flickered in his eyes.

Firenze's calm façade cracked. Rising onto his hind legs, he roared, "Have you forgotten the unicorn's fate, Bain? Do you not understand why it was slain? Open your eyes! If we remain separated, we'll all fall prey to the darkness revealed in the stars!"

Bain faltered, his resolve shaken, but still muttered, "Centaur tradition forbids siding with outsiders. We remain neutral!"

Firenze dismissed Bain's protests with a wave of his hand and approached Dracula, who stood nonchalantly amidst the tension.

"Professor," Firenze said, bowing slightly, "release Ronan, and I will ensure your safe passage from the forest."

The other centaurs murmured in disbelief, but Firenze's determined gaze never wavered.

"You're an anomaly among your kind," Dracula mused, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Very well, for your sake, I'll let this go—for now. But it won't be the same next time…" His voice dropped, the chill in his tone enough to make Bain and the others shudder.

As Dracula stepped away, a swarm of tiny bats materialized, each with sharp teeth and an ominous aura. They flitted past the centaurs, whispering dark warnings in their ears before disintegrating in the growing sunlight.

Bain, shaken, turned to Ronan. "Those bats… What are they?"

Ronan's voice was grave. "They're his. The same creatures that were used against our leaders over a century ago. If Firenze hadn't intervened, we'd all be vampires by now."

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At the forest's edge, Dracula tilted his umbrella against the weak sunlight. He waved off Firenze and Hagrid before striding toward Hogwarts.

The day's lessons awaited.

Dracula entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom to find the first-year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs seated expectantly.

Satisfied with their attentiveness, he picked up the lesson plans prepared by Quirrell. For once, he intended to follow the scheduled material.

But before he could begin, Harry Potter raised his hand.

"Professor," Harry began, "Hagrid mentioned something at lunch—about animals in the Forbidden Forest being found… drained of blood. Hermione said it might be vampires. Are there really vampires in the forest?"

Dracula's brow twitched. He had barely left the forest, and Hagrid had already shared the details with the golden trio. Typical Hagrid—too open-hearted for his own good.

Suppressing his irritation, Dracula motioned for Harry to sit. He tossed Quirrell's lesson plan aside and flipped the textbook to near the end.

"Since Mr. Potter brought it up, we'll discuss vampires today. Turn to the second-to-last chapter," he announced.

The students quickly complied, accustomed to their professor's unpredictability.

"Before we start the lecture, can someone tell me how the wizarding world defines a vampire?" Dracula's burgundy eyes scanned the room, landing on Hermione Granger.

Hand shooting up, Hermione eagerly recited from memory, "Vampires are dark creatures that feed on the blood of the living. They fear sunlight, roam at night, and—"

Dracula's amusement faded as her description continued.

He quickly glanced at the textbook and saw the passage:

"Vampires are dark magical humanoids known for draining the blood of humans by biting their necks. They are classified as living dead creatures, like zombies, and are highly contagious and dangerous..."

Dracula let out a deep breath, trying to suppress his growing frustration. The textbook's inaccuracies grated on him. By the time Hermione finished, his expression was unreadable.

"You've memorized the definition well. One point for Gryffindor," he said curtly.

Hermione frowned at the meager reward but said nothing, intimidated by Dracula's presence.

"Now," Dracula said, his tone steely, "close your textbooks. Let me tell you what a vampire truly is."

The classroom fell silent, the young wizards hanging on his every word, curious about what would happen next.

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