After a moment the medi witches and wizards got back to work. First a few more spells were cast on me to check my condition. What came next was what had me slightly worried. 

 

“Silver, do you know what could have caused this?” A elderly witch asked me with a calm and caring tone. To sell my lies better I forced myself into trembling slightly before shaking my head.

 

“I see, then I will ask you a few questions.” I gave the woman a small nod.

 

“Did you eat anything strange before this happened?” I shook my head. 

 

“Alright, can you tell us what you were doing before… this happened.” It was obvious the woman was trying her best not to remind me of what had just happened. 

 

“I was getting ready to take a bath… then.” I decided that that was the right moment to start crying. I will tell you crying on command is a great skill. 

 

“It’s alright honey, no need to tell me more.” The woman didn’t panic but it was clear she wanted to calm me down. I needed to keep the act though so I continued for a minute or two more before stopping. 

 

After a few more tests that came empty my father came in. Without saying anything he closed the distance before hugging me. A death-eater the man might be, but no one can deny he cares for his offspring. 

 

I was held in the hospital for another two days just in case. Thankfully they let me leave after that. Magical may the hospital be but the food is like that of any other; tasteless, healthy yes but tasteless. My only salvation was that my dear mother brought treats from home when she visited. My twin didn’t know about what had happened since my parents didn’t tell him, no need to worry the little man. 

 

“Father, wait a moment please.” My father had escorted me back to my room and was about to leave before I stopped him. 

 

“Yes?” He said half turning around to look at me. 

 

“I would be grateful if your punishment for Gurry isn’t too extreme. Fail as he did, the little guy is useful and I would rather not train another elf in my likes and dislikes.” Call me callus but I didn’t really care for the little elf. I was being truthful though. Telling a new elf about what to do and what not would be a pain in the ass and a waste of my time. 

 

“I’ll see he is still able when I am done.” Said father before leaving. Poor Gurry will probably be flogged if not put under cruciatus. Not like it’s my problem. 

 

“What is my problem is how my vitality is being consumed.” I murmured while feeling how much of it I had left. After a moment I breathed a sigh of relief. At least the consumption hadn’t increased but instead decreased a little. If before I had two years, now I have three. That is if I don’t increase its consumption. 

 

“Worst of all is that the ritual to absorb some won’t be available for me in that time frame.” I murmured again before sighing. Not like I can do much right now. Instead I will focus on what I can do, which is checking my back. I refuse to believe that not even one of the medi witches/doctors saw my scarred back. 

 

Standing naked in front of my full body mirror I couldn’t help but marvel at my back. The scars were gone, In their place there was flawless skin. However, floating just above my skin in an ethereal cyan, a tattoo of fangs biting into a heart stood. Looking closely I could see how each line of the tattoo was made of tiny runes and glyphs.  

 

“What the fuck.” I could instinctively tell that no one besides me and my… kin? Would be able to see it. What made it even stranger was that those same instincts told me that my family wasn’t my kin. 

 

“No, really, what the actual fuck.” I could also feel how this strange thing was the reason for my vitality and magic getting along and mixing together. 

 

“I will admit it looks cool though.” And it did, call me edgy or whatever but anyone that says ethereal cyan tattoo floating a few millimeters of your skin isn’t cool has no sense of aesthetics in my book. 

 

“Why fangs biting into a heart though?” I had to think for a minute or two until an idea stuck onto my mind. 

 

“No way, It isn’t that… right?” My idea was rather simple and easy to test. That is why I got to it instantly. With quick movements I got dressed in my usual clothes which consist of a skirt and shirt with a robe on top.

 

A moment later I found myself outside the manor walking through our extensive gardens. What I was looking for soon came into view. A small squirrel was running around the bushes minding its own business. Unfortunately for it I had business with it, some I am sure it wouldn't like. 

 

Moving faster than the critter could react I caught it by the neck. In self defense it tried biting my hand to no avail as its little teeth couldn’t break my skin. Taking a deep breath I prepared myself for what I was about to do. 

 

Looking intensely at the struggling critter I concentrated on it. My senses became sharper and sharper until I could hear it’s little heart beating wildly. I could smell the iron scent coming from its blood and see the fluid flowing along its veins and arteries. 

 

“This isn’t helping to disprove my theory.” I smiled wryly before biting down on the thing. My new instincts guided me to bite it in just the right way to puncture its carotid artery and jugular vein. My now elongated canines easily pierced its skin reaching my target. 

 

I couldn’t help the moan that escaped my throat as the warm liquid spilled into my mouth and onto my tongue. It tasted like nuts and iron making my sense of taste dance in delight. If this didn’t confirm what I had become then nothing did. 

 

“Well fuck me, I am a vampire now.” I said while discarding the now drained squirrel into a bush. A cat or something should eat it in time. 

 

“Though, not the normal kind it seems.” I said while looking up. The sun stood shining bright, its warm rays hitting my skin without burning it. Not only that but my skin isn’t pale, or at least not deadly pale like normal vampires. 

 

“Well whatever, with this at least I have a solution to my problem.” With this little snack I gained a week of time discounting the vitality used to catch it. If I hadn’t used any vitality then it would have been four times that.   

 

“With this I would just need to drain one of these critters once a week if I don’t use any more vitality than the passive drain. I will go for two every week to start building a healthy reserve just in case.” Murmuring to myself I walked back to the mansion. 

 

“No, scratch that. If I can, I should try and hunt as much as I can. It’s my life that is hanging on the line here.” Having made up my mind I decided to go to the library and read. I will be starting my hunt tonight. I will also need to be careful to not be caught. That and not scaring away any possible prey for the future. Over hunting is a thing and it would spell trouble for me. 

 

“Thankfully my parents don’t bother with getting tutors for me anymore.” Well that wasn’t the entire truth. I did have tutors, it’s just that they don’t tutor me. I know it sounds weird but since I spent most of my time studying by myself my parents decided it wasn’t necessary. Instead they come once a month to quiz me about this and that. As long as I can answer the quizzes I will be left to do my own thing. 

 

“I also need to get materials for my own concoctions.” I am still a kid after all. Though I have asked my parents for potions lessons in the hopes of acquiring materials to do my own thing it didn’t go as planned. Brewing can be just as dangerous as spell casting. That is why I am only ever allowed near a cauldron when my tutor is around. This is the only class that I am actually tutored on. 

 

“Meh, I will figure something out. At least most of the materials for the doctor’s concoctions are mundane.” That is a weird thing actually. To think that the good ol plague doctor could create subservient zombies with mundane stuff. 

 

“Well whatever… I hope my dear brother is studying properly.” It always amazed me how Draco could be so inept considering the resources he had at his disposal. Now though I can understand. My brother is a lazy bastard. He rarely pays attention to the tutors and barely passes his quizzes by cramming which he soon after forgets. 

 

“Bet that idiot will hold his wand from the wrong end when he gets it.” No really it is that bad. I have been trying to get him to study more. I refuse to have the Idiot embarrass me when we finally get in Hogwarts.  

 

“I should at least try and get the ingredients for the myiki endynamosi potion.” That one is the one for muscle strengthening by the way. Its ingredients aren’t all that hard to get though they are poisonous. Knowing the list I would think this thing is more for melting muscles than growing them. 

 

“At least everything is from england.” And wasn’t that a god sent. I could gather them myself if I could get out of this damned manor without being found. Going around the manor unsupervised is fine, going out is impossible. The wards would alert dear ol daddy instantly. 

 

“I am thankful this place is massive though otherwise I would die.” Taking into consideration the damned manor had a good chunk of forest included in the wards I could roam happily during my future hunts. 

 

“Bah, if push comes to shove I will just find the way to imperio Gurry into getting me the good stuff. Though I would need to obliviate the little shit after so I don’t get found. Not only that but I would also need to use falsum memento or he might notice the gap in his memories. Bother bother bother bother.” Yeah it would be too troublesome. I might as well ask first and see if he agrees. I could threaten him with a bad time if he refuses. 

 

“Gurry.” The moment I called his name the little elf appeared in front of me. Like any other elf he only had a rag to cover his body. I would have liked to have him better dressed only because his unkempt appearance bothers me. Unfortunately that would free him. 

 

“I am hungry, is dinner ready?” The sun hasn’t set yet so it should be around four or five pm right now. We usually have dinner around six to seven pm so obviously dinner isn’t ready. 

 

“N-no.” Crap, the stutter is back. I had trained the little shit to not stutter since it annoyed the shit out of me. Looks like father’s beating did mess with his training. 

 

“Don’t stutter!” I backhanded him. Strong enough to push his head but not enough to make him fall. Now that I took a better look at him he looked like shit, well, more like shit than usual. 

 

“Gurry, sorry! Gurry won’t stutter anymore!” At least that part was still there. I hated when he wasted my time by not answering quickly. Thankfully he did so I didn’t need to backhand him again. 

 

“Good. Since dinner isn’t ready yet, get me some snacks.” He disappeared without saying a word, good. I didn’t need him wasting time by answering, I needed him to do what I asked. Yeah, he will probably bring me the materials I need. He is too afraid to displease me, my training seems to have worked.