Hogwarts: Even Voldemort Can't Stop Me From Studying

”——doesn’t mean there aren’t any wizards around.” The Poppet slowly finished speaking.

Carrel looked in shock at Vid who suddenly appeared, as if his eyes had developed double vision, his heart filled instantly with confusion and delight.

Vid really came? Why did he suddenly show up? Does he think he can emerge unscathed in front of dozens of vampires?

Carrel was about to loudly warn the vampires shouting slogans and ramming the door one last time when his eyes, extremely sensitive to light, suddenly saw a point of white light on Vid’s magic wand, becoming brighter by the moment.

The Poppet also gingerly moved two steps, quickly standing behind the real Vid, as if not wanting to obstruct him.

In a flash, time seemed to stretch dozens of times longer, and Carrel suddenly recalled something a vampire elder once said to him after training had ended one afternoon—

”Carrel, we’re stronger, quicker, and more ferocious than wizards, but never underestimate those frail-looking people with magic wands.”

”Wizards have a spell specifically designed to deal with vampires—the Sunlight Charm, said to be as scorching and terrifying as the sun, capable of great destruction even when used by children with insufficient magic power.”

”That’s why we vampires are not valued in the organization and are only tasked with eavesdropping or other minor tasks, because those in charge know very well that if we really clash with the enemy, we’re just ice floes that shatter on contact.”

”Magic is your true reliance, Carrel. Since you’re fortunate to have magic ability, you should study magic earnestly! Sigh… I really don’t understand what the higher-ups are thinking by making you a…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, just looked at Carrel with regret and sighed deeply.

Back then, Carrel didn’t understand why the vampire sighed; he just thought it was cool that he could now run fast, jump high, and transform into a bat.

Aside from the food never tasting right, he didn’t feel there was anything bad about being a vampire.

As for the so-called ”Sunlight Charm,” Carrel had inquired about it and found it to be akin to an urban legend, a rumor no one had really encountered, so he gradually stopped concerning himself with it.

But at this moment, for some reason, he suddenly remembered those words, remembered that ”terrifying like the sun” spell.

Carrel shivered as if electricity passed through him, never having reacted so swiftly as he did now.

In that instant, he forgot to make a sound, forgot his previous thoughts, and rolled behind the sofa, pulling down a dirty curtain to wrap himself in it.

Almost as soon as he hit the ground, his ears caught a not-so-loud voice—

”Akayas-Tomio!”

A point of white light rapidly expanded, first engulfing Vid and the Poppet, then exploding outward, swallowing the entire room and even shining straight outside through the cracks in the windows and walls, with beams of light multiplying, turning this secluded house into a place of resplendent brilliance!

...

”Wow… it’s really like there’s a sun hidden in that house! I want to learn too!”

In the small grove outside the cabin, Tonks couldn’t help but shield her eyes with her hand, exclaiming in admiration, simultaneously turning her hair and eyes the same pure white color.

”But that’s a forbidden spell,” a brown-haired witch said uneasily. ”Doesn’t using that spell violate regulations for that kid?”

Tonks curled her lips, ”It’s fine... Can you guess who taught him that spell?”

”Hestia, when facing dozens of vampire enemies, using any spells to protect oneself is permissible,” Kingsley concluded, ”I will submit a report to the higher-ups proving that Vid Gray’s use of this spell was justified and appropriate.”

”Justified?” Moody said disapprovingly, ”A bunch of Aurors and Order of Phoenix members hiding in the trees, letting a child venture into danger—that’s the greatest injustice—what on earth is Dumbledore thinking?”

”Uh… maybe not wanting those vampires to be alerted and escape early?” Arthur Weasley speculated.

Tonks snapped her fingers, ”Wrong, it’s to discover the vampires’ true plot.”

”Anyway, that kid did a great job, used the Sunlight Charm beautifully!”

Another male wizard said happily, ”If it were us, we wouldn’t be able to openly use a forbidden curse; those officials in the Ministry of Magic and the ones who make the laws are all crap!”

”Right, all crap!” Tonks agreed emphatically, nodding vigorously.

”Crap!” Moody also nodded, tapping his cane heavily.

Kingsley, somewhat reluctantly part of the bureaucratic ranks: ”…”

Arthur Weasley, who helped write some of the laws: ”…”

”Let’s go.” Kingsley cleared his throat, exiting the grove, and said, ”Such a powerful Sunlight Charm, it’s about time for us to wrap things up.”

...

Carrel couldn’t comprehend the easy, joyful mood of the human wizards; he curled up under the curtain, still feeling an indescribable terror.

His tightly shut eyes felt as if the suffocating sea of light penetrated through the fabric’s gaps, as if it would set his retinas ablaze. All his skin felt the intense, scorching pain as if his whole body would melt into the light.

Carrel didn’t know if the other vampires were also screaming, but he could only feel himself shouting so loudly it nearly tore his throat apart before the terrifying heat waves finally began to slowly fade.

After a long while, Carrel finally pulled back the curtain and slowly crawled up.

At this moment, his pale skin was already burnt red and swollen, his blue eyes had turned crimson, constantly shedding tears. There were even a couple of nasty yellow blisters on the back of his hand that stung painfully at the slightest touch.

Carrel panted heavily, looking around.

The vampires were clutching their eyes, rolling on the ground and shrieking, their numbers seeming reduced by half, but he couldn’t tell who—because everything he saw now was a blurry, blood-red haze.

Carrel raised his head, looking towards Vid.

He stood together with the Poppet on a platform near the staircase’s corner, their expression unclear.

Just a few meters apart, yet it seemed as though a chasm lay between them.

The vampire boy with a hollow expression stood there, the already cracked wood door opposite suddenly blew open, and genuine sunlight softly streamed in, followed by a group of tall figures.

”Good morning, fang beasts.” The leading black-skinned wizard said, ”You are under arrest.”

The gravely injured vampires were roughly pulled up from the ground by Aurors, shackled and dragged outside, continuously letting out screams.

A witch approached Carrel, ”Mr. Carrel Johnson, your actions violate at least seven laws. I’m regretfully informing you that you’ve been expelled from Hogwarts, and I need to destroy your magic wand.”

Carrel seemed not to have heard, remaining motionless.

”Mr. Johnson, please hand over your wand!” The witch emphasized her words sternly, drawing the attention of a few Aurors tidying up the scene in her direction.

”He can’t hand over the wand, ma’am.” Vid spoke up, ”His wand was stolen by that vampire who escaped earlier.”

Hearing Vid’s voice, Carrel suddenly seemed to awaken, reaching into his pocket.

—The magic wand he had tucked into his pocket upon entering was indeed gone.

At the same time, Vid and Kingsley exchanged glances, and the witch looked towards Kingsley as well.

While in the grove, they had all seen a vampire carrying a blond man run into the forest from another direction, but at Kingsley’s signal, none of them intervened to stop it.

Kingsley looked at the witch and slightly nodded.

”Oh, well… then the wand destruction will be postponed for now.” The witch said sternly, ”But Mr. Johnson, due to your previous actions, you need to appear for trial at the Ministry of Magic at 9 a.m. two days later. Until the trial, you’ll be detained and held by the Auror Office. Any questions?”

”I…” Carrel slowly raised his head, speaking hoarsely, ”I want to apologize to Vid, I want to see Dumbledore… and if I’m to be expelled, can I… can I go back and take my things?”

This was, of course, against regulations, but perhaps because Carrel was young and deceived, or perhaps because he looked so pitiable now, the witch’s expression slightly softened.

”Please,” Carrel wept, whispering, ”My real parents were both killed by those vampires, leaving only one keepsake. I… I don’t have other relatives, no one to do this for me… I’m begging you…”