The Chronicles of Blood and Fire (HP Fanfic)

It was now the beginning of February. Snow still clung to the edges of the windowsills, but the atmosphere inside Hogwarts had begun to shift. The corridors bustled with renewed energy as students returned to the rhythm of study and social drama. For Caelum, however, the days were more deliberate. He had a plan, and every step needed to be measured.

Easter break was still a few months away, but it would be the window of opportunity he needed. He would enter the Forbidden Forest then. Not on a whim, not recklessly—but with knowledge, preparation, and purpose.

That began with Professor Rakepick.

The Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom was quiet as the last students filed out after class. Caelum lingered at her desk, her expression unreadable. Professor Patricia Rakepick—turns out to be a world-famous Curse-Breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank—was busy packing away her satchel, but her gaze flicked toward Caelum with casual attentiveness.

"Mr. Sanguine," Rakepick said without turning fully. "Is there something you wish to discuss?"

Caelum approached the desk. "Yes, Professor. I have a question… about vampires."

Rakepick raised a brow, clearly amused. "You're asking me how to deal with your own kind?"

Caelum gave a humorless smile. "Let's just say I'm not planning to fight myself in a mirror. But hypothetically—if one were to encounter vampires in the wild, what would be the best approach?"

Rakepick set down her satchel and leaned back against the desk. "That would depend on the type. Wild ones? Feral? Or civilized old bloods?"

"Let's assume it's a clan. Hidden deep in forested territory, like... the Forbidden Forest," Caelum said evenly.

There was a brief pause. "Ah," Rakepick said slowly, "well. For feral vampires, fire and light are your friends. Enchanted silver weapons if you can get them. Avoid physical engagement—they're faster, stronger, and highly territorial. But you already know that, don't you?"

Caelum didn't answer.

Rakepick continued. "More sophisticated clans… those are harder. They won't attack openly. You'll need to rely on mental defenses—Occlumency, persuasion, and knowing when not to provoke them. Even a civilized vampire can tear a wizard apart when angered."

"Any magical defenses they're particularly vulnerable to?"

"Fire, always," Rakepick said. "And something rarely taught anymore: old wards from Eastern Europe. Blood wards, spirit bindings. Though I imagine those aren't easy to come by. Why?"

"Research," Caelum replied simply.

Rakepick gave him a long, knowing look. "Be careful what you research, Mr. Sanguine. Some shadows have longer memories than the light."

Back in the library, Caelum dove deeper into his study. He combed through old records, newspaper archives, and magical bestiaries. Mentions of vampire sightings in the Forbidden Forest were rare—but not nonexistent. Some were dated decades ago, others more recent. A few accidents. Missing students. Hushed investigations.

One passage caught his eye in an obscure tome:

"The coven known as the Gura Umbrei is believed to have retreated to the darkest part of the Black Forest centuries ago. Fragments of lore suggest they made contact with the blood magic of the old world, though no proof exists. They were rumored to be able to bend the blood of others to their will, to draw power from it directly—curse it, boil it, freeze it. Most believe it to be mere myth."

He paused. Blood magic.

While most accepted that vampires could influence minds—through charisma, gaze, or charm—there was no known instance of them casting blood-related spells. It was long believed that such feats were exaggerations, the stuff of legend designed to scare children. But Caelum knew better than to dismiss legend too quickly.

After all, his very existence blurred the line between myth and reality.

The only problem was that the deeper he searched, the more fragmented the information became. Blood magic was a forbidden branch of study—locked behind Ministry seals or lost to time. And yet, some part of him burned with familiarity when he read those descriptions, like something buried was responding to the call.

He didn't know what it meant.

Not yet.

But he would.

By Easter, he would be ready