Harry Potter: The Vampire Prince

Eve closed her book and glanced at the time.

After dinner, Nolan had been called away by Cho, who said that a young girl wanted to see him. But now it was getting quite late—had something happened?

Eve speculated that perhaps Nolan and Cho were celebrating Valentine's Day together. But on second thought, that seemed unlikely. Nolan had always been dismissive of both Muggle and wizard holidays; he simply wasn't the type to indulge in celebrations.

If she couldn't guess, she wouldn't bother trying.

Eve had never worried about Nolan's whereabouts. He was a powerful vampire—whether in Hogwarts, the Muggle world, or the magical realm, who would dare to cause him trouble?

As Miss Stock was lost in thought, a young witch approached her.

"Can we talk, Miss Stock? I think I might need your advice…"

"Greengrass? Oh, of course. What's troubling you?"

"You can call me Daphne—my surname is a bit too long, as you know." Daphne Greengrass, cousin of Astoria, shrugged.

She was trying to appear relaxed, but it was difficult. She still looked stiff, like a corpse that had just crawled out of its grave.

Eve regarded her coolly. This unimpressive-looking underclassman… then she raised an eyebrow slightly and nodded. "Alright, Daphne. You can call me Eve."

Daphne was very familiar with this motion—the slight arch of the brow and the casual nod. She had seen it many times before… on Nolan.

Clearly, Eve had spent so much time around Nolan that she had picked up some of his habits.

This filled Daphne with jealousy. It was unfair. Whether it was Eve Stock or her cousin Astoria, they were different from ordinary girls. They were beautiful.

Everyone liked beautiful girls. Beautiful girls and ordinary girls were two different species. Surely, Nolan thought the same.

"Shall we talk here?"

"Uh… maybe we could go to my dormitory instead? It's a… a very private matter." Daphne hesitated, glancing up nervously. Seeing Eve's amused smile, she panicked and quickly added, "My roommates aren't there. They'll be in the common room until late."

"Alright then."

The two made their way to the second-year girls' dormitory.

Speaking of which, this room also housed the legendary Millicent Bulstrode—arguably the ugliest witch in Slytherin, if not all of Hogwarts.

Montague had once said she looked like an alien, while Miles believed she resembled a pig.

Even Nolan, who rarely spoke ill of others, had once frowned and remarked, "If she were a member of the Von Draugr family, I'd exercise my ancestral privilege on Felicia's behalf and kick her out."

Too ugly to even deserve the immortality of a vampire—truly a pitiable girl, though she herself seemed blissfully unaware.

"Yes, Millicent genuinely believes she's attractive," Daphne said with an awkward smile. "She sits here all the time, putting on powder… Anyway, have a seat, Eve. The thing is, my family situation isn't looking great."

"Oh, that's unfortunate," Eve replied in a tone as dry as if she were reading from a script.

Two years ago, her own family situation had been far from ideal. But back then, every Slytherin had ostracized her—except for Nolan and Alicia. So she had no sympathy to spare for anyone else.

"Actually, most pureblood families are struggling. Take your classmate Malcolm Baddock, for example. His family is on the brink of bankruptcy. They've already sold off every magical artifact passed down by their ancestors, and even the furniture in their home. They're living in an empty house now, and by next year, they might lose that too. Even the Malfoys have had to pawn a few things to maintain their lavish lifestyle," Daphne said hesitantly, glancing at Eve with caution. "So, we're trying to find a wizard wealthier than most…"

"A union of pureblood and wealth. Sounds strategic," Eve said impassively.

She always seemed so cold when dealing with others.

"But what does this have to do with me?"

"It has everything to do with you!" Daphne suddenly became agitated, slipping into her natural role. "Because every pureblood family is watching Nolan! As long as they have an unmarried daughter…"

"Oh, I see," Eve sneered. "So you're here as a representative? Representing the pureblood families, hoping I'll step aside so Nolan can have a more 'noble' partner? Of course, you'd think that—after all, my parents were both Muggles."

Eve had always despised pureblood supremacists.

What had happened in her first year still lingered like a thorn in her heart.

All because of blood status.

"I…" Daphne hesitated. "I don't know."

"Hmm?"

"Nolan is incredibly charming. I have to admit, even though I'm still young, attraction is a natural instinct for women. I'm mesmerized by him, Eve. My family has always urged me to get close to Nolan, to win his favor. But how can I?" Daphne's voice trembled, and she began to sob. "Just look at me. I have no charm at all. How could I possibly succeed?"

Eve pinched the bridge of her nose, her patience wearing thin.

If she were a kind-hearted person, she might have comforted Daphne, told her not to belittle herself, that girls only grow more beautiful with time. But Eve had never been a saint.

"I don't know what to do—I really don't, Eve. I don't know whether to declare war on you or beg you for mercy. I don't know what the right thing to do is. So I'm telling you everything. You're Nolan's lover—I thought maybe you could tell me what to do."

Daphne burst into tears.

"Don't cry… Ugh."

Eve rolled her eyes and let out a long sigh. What an absolute headache.

Meanwhile, Astoria was growing anxious.

She checked the time and moved closer to a group of third-year Slytherins. "Has Nolan come back yet?"

"You're asking me?" Miles perked up, his eyes lighting up.

This Valentine's Day was the first time a girl had taken the initiative to talk to him.

"Nolan was stopped by a Ravenclaw girl when he returned," Montague answered while cuddling his girlfriend.

"She was asking me, Montague!" Miles snapped. "She wanted to hear it from me!"

"Oh, please, Miles. She only asked you because you were the closest person to her. We all know that Astoria isn't interested in anyone but Nolan." Montague rolled his eyes.

Astoria ignored their bickering and left, deep in thought. But just as she moved, a small vial slipped out of her pocket and fell onto the floor.

"Hm?" Miles noticed the glass bottle on the carpet. "What's that, Astoria?"

"Oh! Uh—ah! That's… Felix Felicis! Liquid Luck! A potion that brings good fortune. Yes, that's exactly what it is!" Astoria stammered, scrambling for an excuse.

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