Chapter 354: Vampire 2
“How many Animagi are there in the entire world?” Graynwhite said dismissively. “If I had to stay on guard like you, I’d have died of exhaustion long ago.”
“Still, be careful,” Nile said, stepping to the window and scanning the area left and right. Nothing seemed out of place. But as he turned around, he urged the others: “Grab your things and let’s get out of here.”
“What? Why?” Kariel shot up from the bed, protesting. “I’ve already prepared to sleep! And this place is so far from Hogwarts!”
“It’s not far—” Nile replied, “not far enough for someone like Dumbledore.”
As he spoke, he pushed them to move faster. Kariel grumbled but finally started gathering their belongings.
They didn’t check out at the front desk. Instead, they vanished from the inn in a flash.
Wade had several urges to act, but in the end, he held back.
From what he could tell, all of them were vampires—masters of a well-structured magic system. Wade didn’t know the extent of their magical water, but even a surprise attack would be too reckless.
Though vampires were technically recognized as a minority with rights, wizards had never lowered their guard.
From his first year through third, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had changed three times—but every single one had included vampire-related content in their textbook.
Werewolves only posed a real threat during the full moon. Otherwise, they were nearly indistinguishable from ordinary people—often even more moral, and suffering for it.
Vampires were different. They possessed incredible endurance and regenerative abilities, extreme speed, immense strength, and could transform at will into bats. Unlike humans, they never lost their minds during transformation—essentially making them natural Animagi.
Even after being turned, a magical person could still learn and cast spells. However, they could no longer learn white magic—though they gained a significant advantage in mastering dark magic and curses.
Wade remained hidden in the shadows, watching as the group hurried away with their travel bags. After a brief hesitation, he made his decision—he would call for help.
He reverted to his original form, glanced at the time, then turned the Time-Turner back two more full rotations.
The Time-Turner’s safety limit was five hours—not five rotations in one go, but a maximum of five hours of overlapping time travel. Going beyond that still worked, but the user would become dangerously unstable.
Wade had already used it twice, and the time spans overlapped. So now, he was effectively at the five-hour threshold.
Time spun backward. Wade had grown accustomed to the sensation. When the world stabilized, he saw the sky was still dark.
It was still night, but the town was no longer silent. A few houses still had lights on, faint TV screens glowing behind curtains. On the road, a few late-night cars passed by.
Wade transformed into a falcon and flew straight toward Hogsmeade.
He arrived to find the chaos already over.
Dumbledore, still in his pajamas, was speaking to Hagrid: “Take him to The Hog’s Head and wait for me—”
Suddenly, he saw a falcon descending from the sky. His voice faltered.
Then he noticed the bird dart into hiding. Without showing any surprise, Dumbledore casually shifted his gaze.
Hagrid assumed the conversation was finished. “Right,” he said. Then, holding the werewolf, he lumbered off down the street, crashing through the night with a heavy, clattering gait.
Anyone who saw him screamed in terror, scrambling to press themselves against the walls, clearing the entire road for him.
At that moment, Wade, concealed behind a leaf, had already found his target. His sharp eyes finally spotted the anomaly—
The woman who had been terrified by the werewolf moments before stood up, brushing off her skirt. She slipped into the shadows, squinting as she scanned the crowd for Dumbledore.
At her feet lay a young man—clearly the previous “lover.”
Nile, who had just escaped from the Three Broomsticks with the other guests, looked shaken. He sat on the sidewalk, exchanging a subtle glance with Clami.
He slipped a small, toy-like camera into his pocket. Meanwhile, the owner of the nearby Feather Quill shop stepped out, concerned, asking about the man’s condition. Nile pretended to be frightened, stammering a response.
“That was terrifying… I never thought something like this could happen near Hogwarts…”
His voice drifted faintly through the air.
Wade now knew where they were heading. He watched them closely, confirming no one else was meeting up with them before heading to The Hog’s Head.
The headmaster seemed to have been expecting him. As Wade landed, Dumbledore was already by the window, the glass open. The moment their eyes met, Wade knew—he’d been recognized.
It was unexpected, yet not entirely so. Wade didn’t rush into the pub. Instead, he circled the area, searching.
Soon, he found a sparrow perched motionless outside The Hog’s Head, its eyes fixed on the building. On its chest, a faint glimmer of light reflected.
He calculated the timing. At this moment, Kariel and the others were transferring the streaming mirror.
So, Wade slipped into the hollow of a hornbeam tree, transformed back to human form, and gently waved his wand.
A dry, yellow leaf unfurled before him, then reshaped into a photograph—showing the grungy, weathered exterior of The Hog’s Head. But in the image, Dumbledore was absent.
The photo floated forward, perfectly covering the sparrow’s chest—where the mirror lens was hidden.
Only then did Wade transform again, slipping through the window and landing inside the room.
Now, Madam Pomfrey and Professor Bubagi had already left. Madam Pomfrey had even taken Hagrid with her. The room was empty except for Dumbledore and the unconscious werewolf on the bed.
Seeing the falcon turn into a man, Dumbledore showed no surprise. The werewolf on the bed groaned softly.
“Professor,” Wade said, stepping closer. “How’s Remus?”
“For now, he’s not seriously injured. This transformation isn’t permanent—so that’s good news,” Dumbledore said calmly.
“When will he wake up?” Wade asked.
“I can’t say for sure. But Severus might be able to give us an answer.”
“Professor Snape?” Wade paused, momentarily stunned. He thought of the bitter history between the two, and felt a pang of sympathy—first for Remus, forced to be healed by his mortal enemy… then for Snape, compelled to save the man who despised him.
Then Dumbledore asked, “Wade, when did you receive the message?”
There was no point hiding it. “I ran into Fred and George returning to school.”
Dumbledore didn’t beat around the bush. “How many times?”
Wade hesitated. “Five.”
Dumbledore exhaled, as if he’d expected nothing less. “No more Time-Turner use within the next twenty-four hours.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Since you’ve already used it five times, I assume you’ve gained quite a few rewards?”
“Of course, Professor.”
(End of Chapter)
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