In the Gori, she reached out and pulled over the empty chair next to her, her movements elegant and composed. The hem of her robe spread out on the chair, and she sat upright as if she were attending a formal banquet.
"I originally wanted to take you away from Hogwarts and give you the best magical education."
Herman's first reaction upon hearing this was that it was outrageous.
He looked Gori up and down; his pale face and serious expression made it clear he wasn't joking.
"Am I your illegitimate child? Or a descendant of some Vampire duke? Duke, do you still hold that title?"
Gori didn't show any displeasure at being interrupted. He shook his head slightly, and the corners of his mouth even turned up a little, probably amused by Herman's guess.
"Grand Duke, only Dracula, the progenitor of Vampire, holds the title of Grand Duke. Although some of his descendants may also hold titles, there will always only be one Grand Duke of the Vampire."
Herman listened to the voice in the Gori, but his gaze began to wander around.
He noticed something strange. Ever since he entered the room in the Gori, he had had a vague, indescribable feeling, as if something was gently tugging at his consciousness from behind. It wasn't heavy, but it kept tugging.
As he listened to the words spoken in the Gori, he quietly extended and explored the feeling with his consciousness.
The Gori didn't notice Herman's distraction and continued talking.
"According to historical records, the original Dracula had no true descendants, not counting Vampire, and you probably don't have Vampire blood either."
Herman turned his gaze back to the Gori: "Then why did you come to me? You said you'd give me the best magical education, but I think Hogwarts is pretty good."
" Hogwarts is indeed very good, but I want you to break the curse on the Vampire bloodline as soon as possible." The Gori said this in a flat tone, without any preamble, as straightforward as if it were a business deal.
When Herman heard the words " Bloodline Curse," fragmented memories of the train journey immediately flooded his mind.
The words that voice spoke in his mind were fragmented; he didn't hear them all at the time, and he never had a chance to ask them clearly afterward.
" Vampire Bloodline Curse?" Herman repeated, leaning forward slightly. "Is it related to that Prophecy? What exactly is the Prophecy? What does 'Child of Prophecy' mean?"
Gori nodded, seemingly satisfied that Herman had finally gotten to the point.
"A prophet made a deal with us. Although it wasn't finalized, he generously gave us—you could say it was payment—a Prophecy, information about the Child of Prophecy would end the Vampire Bloodline Curse."
" Bloodline Curse." Herman repeated the word, this time with a questioning tone.
"That's right, Bloodline Curse. Professor Quirrell said you've learned some basic knowledge about Vampire. What do you think of Vampire?"
Herman thought for a moment, then carefully chose his words to avoid provoking the other person. "Not bad, huh? Immortality, quite powerful, and even possesses innate Transfiguration."
Hearing this answer in the Gori, I smiled slightly, a smile that carried the air of someone who had been through it all.
"You're right, the young ones who've just become Vampire think so too. But immortality doesn't come without a price, and Vampire my age hate that price."
Herman frowned. It felt like a billionaire sitting across from you, earnestly telling you that he doesn't like money at all, and that having too much money is a real problem for him.
Herman tried to keep his expression from being too sarcastic, but he probably couldn't control himself. Gori glanced at him and knew what he was thinking, but she didn't take it to heart and continued to explain.
"The price of immortality is the gradual erosion of emotions over the long years, losing interest in everything, becoming a walking corpse, and finally sleeping forever in a coffin."
When he said those words, there was indeed something faint in his tone, not heavy, but more like the weariness left after many years of being worn down.
Herman listened, his initial sarcasm subsiding as he began to understand.
"You say I can end the Bloodline Curse?" Herman asked. "How? By killing Vampire?"
He chuckled briefly in the Gori, the laugh so short it sounded almost dry coming out of his throat.
"To wipe out all Vampire. Even Dumbledore probably couldn't do that. Of course, I'm not saying he doesn't have the ability, but there are just too many of my people. I don't even know how many Vampire exist outside of the Thirteen Clans. At least quite a few went to the American Continent with the Mayflower back then. There are even rumors that the Founding Father, Archduke Dracula, is in the American Continent."
Herman paused for a moment when he heard " Mayflower." This old Vampire had lived longer than he had thought, and could even casually mention Muggle historical events.
So you mean...
" The Prophecy means that you have the ability, but not now. It's in the future, when you will find a way to end the Bloodline Curse. It could be magic, a ritual, or Potions. Whatever it is, all you need to do now is learn and proceed step by step. Eventually, guided by the Prophecy, you will find a way to end the Bloodline Curse."
The Gori said this with a confident expression, even a kind of resolute devotion, as if someone who had been waiting for a long time was finally seeing the signs of fulfillment.
Looking at his expression, Herman suddenly realized that the old man might genuinely believe the Prophecy, and wasn't just pretending.
"Then just let me study at Hogwarts properly, why make such a fuss?"
As Herman spoke, he felt that subtle pull again.
This time, he was more careful and focused his attention outwards, trying to sense what it was.
"I don't have the habit of leaving my fate in the hands of others," the voice in the Gori said calmly. "After inquiring whether the prophet's interference in your destiny would affect your path, I feel that keeping you in my own hands seems to be more in my interest. And I believe that turning you into Vampire will further unleash your potential."
When Herman heard the words "become Vampire," a string in his heart tightened suddenly, but then the feeling that had been gently pulling him from behind suddenly became clear.
He glanced down at the table, then at his hands resting on it.
The materials, crucibles, mannequins, and water tanks—these things have remained unchanged since the Gori began, even their positions are exactly the same as the Room of Requirement in reality.
But Herman suddenly realized something: these were all things he had seen in reality before he went to sleep, every single one of them.
These were the only images he had ever seen in his mind, so the practice room in his dream could only be built using these images.