Harry Potter: The Vampire Prince

Penelope exchanged a few words with Alicia Spinnet before leaving, and as she walked away, most of the Gryffindor boys' eyes were practically glued to her fiery figure.

"I bet Penelope has an absolutely stunning body!" one of the Weasley twins declared.

The other twin's eyes gleamed as he gestured wildly over his chest. "A true force of nature!"

The first twin sighed dramatically. "Hogwarts really shouldn't make us wear these long robes. We ought to take a page out of the Muggles' book and let witches wear something more form-fitting and breezy. That way, incredible figures like Penelope's wouldn't have to be hidden away… Anyway, Alicia, what did Penelope want with you just now?"

"Huh? Oh, oh!" Alicia stammered, caught off guard. "She invited me to something, and I agreed!"

"Why are you so flustered, dear?" Angelina asked, eyeing her friend curiously.

Alicia shrugged. "It's nothing… I just didn't expect it, that's all."

The Gryffindors were intrigued, but Alicia was clearly unwilling to reveal what exactly Penelope had invited her to. Instead, she busied herself with her French fish soup and pan-seared parrot meat, dodging their inquiries with vague responses.

Before long, the Gryffindors lost interest and returned to their usual antics—mainly teasing Percy. As expected, Percy flew into a rage, stormed away from the table, and stomped off toward the dormitory.

As for Penelope's invitation to Alicia, it was actually quite simple—Nolan's new house at Hogwarts had finally been completed that very day.

Nolan planned to start using the house that weekend. Libera would be overseeing experiments there, and that fool Fae would also be moving in as a maid.

Before the house officially became a vampire residence, Eve had convinced Nolan to throw a party there. They were inviting their Slytherin friends, and naturally, Alicia and Penelope would be attending as well.

Alicia wasn't exactly part of their circle, but she was their neighbor and had also been the intermediary for the house purchase, so she received an invitation too. This left Miss Spinnet feeling rather flattered.

"A room? I've kept one for you on the second floor. You can keep Famas there, or do something else with it. Just make sure to find something for Fae to do. That woman becomes a real headache when she's idle," Nolan remarked casually.

In the Slytherin common room, Nolan was unusually relaxed, lounging by the fireplace in casual attire as he spoke to Eve.

Eve was sitting right "beside" him—though more accurately, they were sharing a single armchair, pressed closely together.

The silver-haired girl rested her chin on her lover's shoulder, her long, cool strands of hair cascading over Nolan's face. Every time she shifted her head, her silken hair playfully brushed against the young vampire's skin.

Being this intimate in the common room was nothing new for them.

If it were Cho, she might have been a bit more reserved due to her Asian upbringing, but Eve? Not at all. When she wanted to be close to her lover, she saw no reason to hold back.

As for Nolan, he was even less concerned about what others thought.

Thus, as one of Slytherin's most well-known couples, they often flaunted their affection publicly, dazzling (or annoying) their housemates. If it had been anyone else, it wouldn't have been such a big deal. But because it was the famous Von Draugr and Stock… jealousy was bound to follow them wherever they went.

"How infuriating…"

In a dim corner of the common room, a first-year girl, Astoria Greengrass, gnawed on her fingernail, both frustrated and disheartened. "Isn't there a spell that could just swap me and Stock's positions?"

"If there was, I would've used it long ago…" muttered her cousin Daphne, her face full of starry-eyed admiration as she gazed in Eve's direction.

"Stock gets everything! As long as she's around, I'm nothing but an insignificant little first-year in Nolan's eyes!" Astoria fumed, aggressively poking her parchment with a quill. A large ink blot spread across her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework—but she didn't care in the slightest. After all, the assignment was titled "Using Unique Perspectives to Explain Why Gilderoy Lockhart Became a Prominent Adventurer."

"Wake up, Astoria," Daphne said, shaking her head as she pitifully glanced at her cousin's underdeveloped figure. "Even if Stock weren't in the picture, you'd still just be a forgettable little first-year."

"Listen, Daphne, I need your help now," Astoria lowered her voice conspiratorially. "I managed to get my hands on some Amortentia…"

"Astoria! You're only twelve—!"

"That doesn't matter, Daphne. My age is irrelevant. Our family needs a wealthy connection. If you don't want our house to go bankrupt and end up like the Baddocks, who were kicked out of the pure-blood registry, then do as I say!" Despite her youthful frame, Astoria's expression was fox-like and mature. "I don't have the luxury of waiting until I grow up. Nolan is only going to get further and further away from me. That's why I need to act now—on Valentine's Day! Once I succeed, he won't be able to shake me off, no matter what. Unless, of course, he wants to see his scandal plastered all over The Quibbler!"

"O-Ooh, Astoria, you're scaring me…"

Daphne looked at her younger cousin with a mixture of fear and unease. Astoria's methods were far from pleasant. Even if she succeeded, Nolan would never truly love her. But she didn't dare say that aloud. Ever since they were children, Daphne had never been the decisive one, despite being the older of the two. More often than not, it was Astoria who called the shots.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Astoria said coldly. "I'll be a good wife in the future, so Nolan will forgive me. Now, here's the plan—Daphne, on Valentine's Day, you'll lure Stock away. Tell her you have feelings for Nolan and need to talk to her about it. That should work, right? Since it's true."

Daphne's expression turned blank. "Huh?"

"I've been watching Stock closely. She's odd—a complete weirdo. Besides Nolan, there aren't many things she actually cares about. So if you approach her about Nolan, she won't mind sparing some time for you."

Astoria was undeniably a sharp girl. She always knew exactly what she wanted—and what it would take to get it.

Daphne, on the other hand, was filled with unease. "What am I even supposed to say?"

"Just tell the truth," Astoria said with a nonchalant shrug. "Say that our family needs a wealthy marriage connection, that you have feelings for Nolan… Stock will probably try to comfort you. And during that time, I'll have already made sure Nolan drinks the love potion. Then, he'll fall for me!"

Daphne wanted to protest—if Astoria's plan was so perfect, why couldn't they switch places? But she didn't dare say it aloud.

Astoria Greengrass—this twelve-year-old witch—was truly terrifying.

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