A week into the new term, Nolan's detention officially began.
"Perhaps you'll find this amusing, Nolan. Usually, detentions are handled by the subject professors, but it's the first time I'm personally supervising one," Dumbledore said cheerfully. The elderly wizard seemed to relish the sour expression on Nolan's face. "Cheer up. I had no choice but to punish you. During our delightful foreign exchange match, you presented the world with a rather… violent side of British wizardry. You frightened them so much you nearly ruined the event's highlight."
Nolan shrugged nonchalantly. "Fudge must be thrilled. I imagine his diplomatic standing has received quite a boost."
"Quite the opposite, actually. Fudge has been swamped with so many complaints that his office is now inaccessible due to the sheer volume of letters. They've resorted to shoveling the complaints out of the room to make space," Dumbledore replied, a mischievous smile playing on his lips as he led the way.
The pair strolled through the quiet, moonlit corridors of Hogwarts. The silvery light streaming through the windows highlighted Nolan's crimson eyes, making him appear both otherworldly and mischievously alive.
Nolan chuckled softly, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Perhaps Fudge ought to learn how to handle actual problems instead of sitting around dreaming about one day receiving a Merlin Cross. Not that he deserves one. When he's old, I suspect Fudge will thank me for all the 'troubles' I've brought him. Adversity builds character, doesn't it?"
"Fudge wouldn't be too pleased to hear that," Dumbledore said, laughing. "He seems convinced that your presence alone is a threat to his position."
"That's how he is—if you're not helping him, he assumes you're against him."
They arrived at the fourth-floor corridor, stopping at the door that housed the three-headed dog. Dumbledore pushed it open, and the deafening sound of barking immediately filled the air. Without missing a beat, Nolan drew his wand and cast a simple spell. The massive beast's eyelids grew heavy, and in moments, the dog was snoring loudly.
"Impressive Sleeping Charm, Nolan," Dumbledore remarked, his blue eyes twinkling with genuine admiration. "I must say, your talent in magic continues to exceed my expectations. You remind me of someone I once knew."
"Grindelwald?" Nolan raised an eyebrow, glancing at Dumbledore with a wry expression. "Don't lump me in with him. I happen to prefer the company of females. And if you're trying to flirt with me, Felicia would kill you. She's still waiting for me to produce pure-blood heirs for the family."
Dumbledore burst into hearty laughter, playfully winking. "Oh, how could I forget? You've been rather cozy with Miss Stock lately."
Nolan found himself at a loss when faced with Dumbledore's shameless humor. Without a word, he focused on using his wand to lift the dog's paw off the trapdoor it guarded. Meanwhile, Dumbledore continued his chatter, undeterred.
"Professor McGonagall mentioned that Miss Stock has accepted your vampire heritage. We're quite delighted to hear that. It seems you've found a truly meaningful connection."
"Something like that," Nolan murmured after a pause. "Eve has never let me down."
With that, he jumped down through the trapdoor.
Dumbledore followed suit, both casting slow-fall charms midair to avoid any unpleasant encounters with the Devil's Snare below.
Once safely on the ground, Dumbledore lit his wand and turned to Nolan. "This is your detention, Nolan. While several professors contributed to designing this maze, I must admit it feels rather simple. You see, wizards aren't exactly adept at creating labyrinths. Severus suggested you might have a unique talent for it, given your… lineage."
Nolan's expression grew a touch peculiar. "Are you sure Professor Snape wasn't being sarcastic? For the record, some demons enjoy nesting, but vampires have no such habit. We live in regular Muggle houses."
"How do you deal with vampire hunters, then?" Dumbledore asked, his curiosity seemingly genuine.
"Hunters rarely trouble the great families. They prefer targeting stray vampires to earn pocket money. But if a hunter does intrude, we have our own defenses. The Von Draugr family keeps a powerful demon as a guardian. Miss Nancy ensures no intruder leaves alive."
"A demon, you say," Dumbledore repeated, his brows lifting slightly. "The connections of vampires are endlessly fascinating."
"Many species are capable of earning our friendship," Nolan replied dryly. "Wizards included."
They entered the chamber where enchanted keys flitted about. With a casual flick of his wand, Nolan summoned the correct key, unlocking the door to proceed to the next challenge.
Nolan's expression grew increasingly peculiar. "Professor Dumbledore, are you sure this maze was designed to stop the Dark Lord? Because to me, it feels more like a children's challenge toy. Look at this! There's even a broom prepared for the flying key room. Oh, heavens… wizard chess? This is absolutely ridiculous. How did you all come up with this?"
"Professor McGonagall will be delighted to hear your critique of her chess challenge," Dumbledore said, barely suppressing his laughter. "We couldn't know whether the Dark Lord is skilled at wizard chess. If he isn't, he'll have to deal with the onslaught of magical chess pieces."
"Impressive transfiguration. In this area, Professor McGonagall is far better than you," Nolan remarked as he closely inspected the life-sized wizard chess pieces. There was a strange fondness in his gaze as he examined the stone soldiers. "Could you convince Professor McGonagall to let me have some of these chess pieces? I'd like to repurpose them to guard Randall Gorge."
As they entered the next room and were greeted by a troll, Nolan's face darkened completely. "Oh, for Merlin's sake—a troll? The Dark Lord could reduce this to a pile of dust with a single spell."
"This challenge does seem rather… uninspired," Dumbledore admitted with a thoughtful nod.
"The next room… Fiendfyre?" Nolan's tone lightened slightly. "Finally, something a bit more appropriate. I'm guessing this was Professor Snape's contribution. And the solution? Potions? Ha—no, it's logic puzzles! I love Snape's thought process. I can't wait to see the Dark Lord struggling with this ludicrous challenge. When that day comes, we should add a special observation deck here, so we can sit above it all, clapping and laughing at his expense."
"That was my thought exactly," Dumbledore said, clearly enjoying the image. He began humming a cheerful tune as they both drank the pre-prepared potions and moved to the next room.
The two stepped into an empty chamber. Nothing adorned the walls or floor—it was simply barren. "We considered adding one more challenge before the final room," Dumbledore explained, "but none of the professors could come up with a suitable idea."
"Hmm…" Nolan pondered for a moment before grinning. "I've got an idea."
"That's wonderful, Nolan. Your detention lasts until the end of January, so you've got two weeks left," Dumbledore said with a playful twinkle in his eye. "Look at it this way—we can gift a surprise to that particular gentleman, a little something to let him know that infiltrating Hogwarts is neither a pleasant nor easy affair."
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