Chapter 504

After the dance, Harry’s first destination for Christmas this year was Gilneas, for the old knight was now busy with another matter he considered deeply meaningful: helping the vampires expelled by the magical world establish a breeding farm—these sentient beings, who had lost everything in the Queen’s gamble, perfectly matched the old knight’s definition of “the proletariat.”

Thus, in this slightly dark forest of Albania, all of Harry’s relatives now gathered around the long table in the presidential mansion, chatting merrily. At the end of the table sat two children Harry found especially dear—Edith, who had already adapted to her vampire identity, and Nicolas, who was learning to live among Muggles.

Just as Harry cheerfully asked them about amusing incidents at Muggle schools, and Sirius was teasing Lupin and Tonks about their relationship, the heavy wooden door suddenly swung open, a chilling gust of wind sweeping into the hall. Everyone instinctively froze, turning toward the entrance.

Snape entered in his signature pitch-black robe, face cold and unusually silent, walking toward them.

“Ah, ha!” Sirius immediately called out, “Didn’t expect the great Headmaster of Hogwarts would find time to visit our tiny nation—want to try a can of stew?”

Lupin reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, his expression turning serious: “Severus, at a time like this, what’s happened outside?”

“Nothing. I merely received an invitation.” Snape’s face remained grim, but his tone carried a hint of delight.

Nicolas stood up nervously—he clearly had written the invitation.

Harry quickly pieced together the sequence of events and said cheerfully, “This is good news, Professor. Please, sit up front.”

“No, I’ll sit here.” Snape pulled out a chair and sat naturally beside Nicolas, then gently pressed him back down onto his seat.

In that moment, an unusual atmosphere spread through the room. Harry felt a faint sense of loss—as if he were no longer Snape’s favorite student.

“But why did you assume something was happening outside?” Snape asked, picking up his cutlery while studying the far end of the table.

“To be honest with you all,” Lupin sighed heavily after returning to his seat, “we’re going through a difficult time. The Focal Rainbow has drawn Yanayev’s attention to our tiny nation. For the past six months, Gilneas has faced increasingly brazen probes and infiltration attempts. I’m truly afraid the situation might escalate one day…”

“What about the Ministry?”

“This is intelligence activity—it won’t stop just because someone speaks up or issues a memo.” Lupin sighed helplessly. “I’ve worked with Albania’s government to capture several spies, but cleaning them all out is impossible. They have too many clever Muggle methods to turn and control these simple werewolves. I feel we’re on the defensive, and clearly, the vampires’ situation is even worse.”

“Yes, because they lack a wise and powerful leader,” the old knight interjected. “Louis is capable and passionate, but he lacks authority and administrative experience.”

“And a significant portion of their own people still refuse to abandon the Queen’s Plan,” Lupin added. “They see Louis, who seeks to build a new life, as a traitor—this has only deepened the divisions.”

“Though the farm is currently operating steadily, their problems—and indeed, the future of this people,” the old knight, viewing vampires as a minority ethnic group, said, “must be addressed beyond industry. They need a more enlightened environment to discuss these issues—or perhaps a bloody upheaval to forge a stable society. This is what they must do, not merely operate mechanically in the factories we’ve built for them.”

“Some vampires, having moved beyond their wandering despair, began pondering your words—and their answer was to restart the Queen’s Plan.” Lupin shook his head. “They firmly believe that only their own supernatural power can establish equality with wizards. And the existence of the Focal Rainbow… likely strengthened their resolve. Frankly, I now think that giant glass ball brings the werewolves no benefit whatsoever.”

Snape slowly set down his knife and fork, one hand tapping the table. He suddenly asked, “So, inviting me here wasn’t Nicolas’s idea alone?”

Harry’s eyes widened—he suddenly conceived a ridiculous solution to all the vampires’ problems.

“Uh, yes, the elders…” Nicolas blushed and spoke softly.

“No!” Edith suddenly stood up. “We didn’t act because of the elders’ persuasion or any external pressure. We invited you, Professor, for one simple, pure reason: we wanted to spend Christmas with family. Isn’t that only natural?”

The simple word “family” froze everyone for several seconds. Especially Snape—he first thought he’d heard nonsense and scowled in impatience—but then, as he grasped the meaning behind the words, he was suddenly at a loss.

Even though his relationship with Mia had ended abruptly after that failed experiment, the two children still saw him as their closest person. Snape suddenly felt guilty—he had viewed Nicolas and Edith merely as impoverished students needing care, but they saw him as family to share Christmas with.

Perhaps it was Harry’s growth and independence that eased Snape’s old burdens; perhaps it was Mia’s lingering, familiar yet subtly different warmth; or perhaps, from the moment he took the Moon Rider’s belt from Ge Xuan, his fate had been sealed to the vampires—when the word “family” merged with Nicolas’s same emerald eyes, it struck Snape with unmatched force. His gaze softened.

“That’s very good, Nicolas. I’m glad you think that way,” Snape said slowly. “But the problems still need solving—for your sake, to give you a better environment to grow up in.”

“You can solve them?” Sirius exclaimed in surprise. “You’re the one who drove them out of the magical world. I’d be surprised if they didn’t spit on you.”

Before his old rival, Snape couldn’t resist putting on a show. He gave a cold snort and spoke calmly: “All major powers still target Gilneas’s Focal Rainbow. But vampires lack wise leadership and supernatural power—so even minor connections leave them overwhelmed.”

“Therefore, all they need is a wise leader who possesses supernatural power to lead them out of this predicament. That’s why some want to restart the Queen’s Plan—but the truth is, the Queen’s Plan has fatal flaws. It cannot succeed.”

Harry pressed his hands to his cheeks. He hadn’t expected his ridiculous idea to become reality—just one word: “family.”

“It’s simple,” Snape said. “I’ll become their king.” He swept back his robe, revealing the dark red Moon Rider’s belt—the very symbol of the Vampire King, and the supernatural power the vampires had struggled for, yet never obtained.

Perhaps the Moon Rider had never truly been the vampire royal symbol centuries ago. But even if this were a lie Ge Xuan invented to fool Harry, after being relayed by Gregorio, it had gained some credibility among the vampires. And just as they refused to doubt the feasibility of the Queen’s Plan, when a vampire heard of the Moon Rider legend for the first time, he assumed only that he was ignorant—not that the legend was false. They craved supernatural power too desperately.

Since the Moon Rider’s power was real, and since Snape himself undeniably wielded immense influence in the wizarding world, the legend that “the Moon Rider is the Vampire King” must be true—otherwise, by what right could Snape take over the vampires’ mess?

And if Snape, childless, were to pass on the Moon Rider’s power—who would he choose? The human wizard Harry, who had the After-Moon King’s belt and cared nothing for others? Or the pitiful, defenseless little vampire Nicolas? The answer required no thought.

Harry lightly covered his mouth. He sensed a truly clever person among the vampires—one who knew exactly how to escape their predicament. But manipulating Snape this way wasn’t so bad either—clearly, Snape was moved and volunteered to help, and for someone backed by the entire British magical world, this help was nothing more than a small gesture.

“Perfect,” Sirius muttered sourly. “You’re the Werewolf King, you’re the Vampire King, and I’m a fugitive pretending to be my brother. We all have bright futures.”

Out of sympathy for his godfather and a desire to give him some dignity, Harry, with a touch of mischief, smiled at Nicolas: “Nicolas, you know you’re the only vampire allowed to study magic at Hogwarts, right? Do you know why?”

“Uh, because my father is a human wizard—I’m half-wizard,” Nicolas answered honestly.

“Then, our beloved King Snape—whom will he choose as the next Vampire King? I can’t imagine anyone else but you. That means…”

Harry paused deliberately, stealing a glance at Snape’s now awkward expression. “You’re the true Half-Blood Prince.”