Harry Potter: The Vampire Prince

"Are you ready, mate?"

One of the Weasley twins glanced at Nolan and Cho approaching from a distance, then turned to a short, grotesque-looking Cupid with golden wings.

The ugly little creature gave a sullen nod.

No one could quite figure out where Lockhart had found this bunch of oddballs. The most incompetent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in history seemed to have secrets of his own.

"Since you're ready, go on then! Use your sweetest voice to sing our heartfelt message!" the other twin encouraged.

Cupid nodded and scurried forward.

"What are you guys up to, Fred, George, and Lee?"

Other Gryffindors had arrived, intrigued by the twins' and Jordan's mischief. They had been acting suspiciously all through dinner, clearly plotting something.

"We've prepared a surprise for Nolan! He's going to love it!" Jordan said excitedly.

"I wrote the lyrics!" one twin said.

"I composed the tune!" the other added.

"I caught the Cupid! And I spent half an hour teaching him that ridiculous song!" Jordan grinned. "Damn that Nolan Von Draugr! This time, we'll make sure he's utterly humiliated in front of the ladies!"

"Brilliant! Let's see that arrogant prick get a taste of his own medicine!"

"Hey, twins, why didn't you include me? Draugr stole my girl too!"

The Gryffindors clamored, clearly entertained by the idea.

Meanwhile, on Nolan's side—

Both he and Cho were naturally eye-catching. No matter where they went, they always attracted attention. As expected, the moment they appeared, whispers spread, and all eyes turned toward them… just like always.

That was when the Cupid came hopping over.

"Von Draugr! Nolan Von Draugr! Your secret admirers have prepared a delightful, enchanting melody just for you! I need you to stop and stand still!"

Nolan frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Don't order me."

"Stand still!" The little Cupid screeched, reaching out to grab Nolan's robe.

A sharp snap echoed through the corridor as the creature was suddenly flung backward, smacking against an invisible barrier and tumbling to the ground, bruised and dazed.

A mixed chorus of regret and pain came from the Gryffindor twins' hiding spot.

The Cupid scrambled up, flailing his arms and smacking against the invisible wall, but it was no use. Nolan had cast a Barrier Charm using his enchanted gloves—there was no breaking through.

"Nolan Von Draugr! You must listen to me sing—"

Nolan simply shook his head and flicked his wand.

At once, the poor little Cupid's feet began tapping wildly in an uncontrollable jig. At the same time, he grabbed a harp and, in an exaggerated motion, started strumming it like a guitar. Astonishingly, the music he produced was actually quite pleasant.

"Strange creatures," Cho remarked, watching the Cupid twirl and sweat profusely. "I have no idea what they are."

"Neither do I. But there's something else I'm more curious about."

Nolan lifted his gaze, his eerie eyes locking onto the Weasley twins' hiding spot.

"Uh-oh," the twins yelped in unison before blowing a sharp whistle. Instantly, the gathered Gryffindors scattered like startled birds, disappearing in all directions.

Just then, Harry Potter arrived. He was deep in conversation with his two best friends when another Cupid suddenly shoved through the crowd, shouting, "Harry Potter! I have a love song for you, accompanied by a delightful tune!"

"What's going on?" Nolan mused, his interest piqued. "Do Hogwarts pranksters always come up with the same kind of nonsense?"

Harry, now wrestling with the determined Cupid, was growing visibly frustrated. Cho chuckled. "I'd bet anything Malfoy's behind this one."

Nolan tilted his head. "How do you know?"

"Because I see him. Look, he's right there."

Sure enough, in the corner of the crowd, Draco Malfoy stood with a face alight with glee. His pale cheeks were flushed with excitement, his whole posture screaming anticipation. Soon, he couldn't contain himself any longer—he pushed forward, openly laughing at Harry's predicament.

Then, for some reason, Percy Weasley arrived.

It had been a terrible day for him. Being Valentine's Day, every student who knew he had recently been dumped—and slapped in the face in the process—was secretly snickering behind his back. The usually proud Percy felt utterly humiliated.

"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, frowning.

Then his eyes fell on Nolan and Cho, and his face paled even further. "Oh, Von Draugr. Perhaps you'd care to explain?"

The scene before them was certainly chaotic.

One Cupid was still desperately clinging to Harry, who was struggling to break free. In the scuffle, his bag had been torn open, spilling ink everywhere. The tap-dancing Cupid had stepped into the mess, leaving a trail of inky footprints across the floor.

Meanwhile, Malfoy was howling with laughter, another Cupid was warbling an off-key serenade while perched on Harry's lap, and the surrounding students were cheering and jeering.

"Explain?" Nolan mused. "Let me think…"

After a moment, he simply said, "Perhaps, just like always?"

"That's not very convincing," Percy muttered, but for some reason, he seemed to understand. He waved his hands to disperse the crowd. "I am a Prefect! Get back to your dormitories! Stop loitering around!"

Someone in the crowd shouted, "Percy Weasley, slapped by a girl!"

Percy turned red with rage and began arguing with the culprit, while the onlookers erupted into laughter once again.

"What a spectacle," Nolan remarked, shaking his head.

"Poor Potter," Cho giggled. "But isn't this kind of fun? Everyone is starting to forget about last year's events. The Mandrakes are maturing, and soon the petrified students will be restored. Hogwarts is returning to normal. To be honest, I like this. Everyone seems happy."

Happy? Was that really the case?

Perhaps not for Ginny Weasley. A moment ago, she had spotted a diary tumbling out of Harry's torn bag. Then Malfoy had snatched it up, waving it triumphantly in the air. Her face had turned ashen, her body swaying as if she might faint.

Meanwhile, far away from the commotion, our favorite little lady, Astoria Greengrass, was preparing for an adventure of her own.

From her luggage, she retrieved a tiny vial of Amortentia, a gift from Lady Greengrass herself. As she tilted it, tiny iridescent bubbles floated to the surface, emitting a mesmerizing glow in the air…