"CLASS!" he yelled before it could get out of hand...as it always did. Everyone looked over at him obediently...for some reason, he was one of the only teachers they immediately listened too. He smirked at his granddaughter, Victoria, as she sunk into her usual back seat with her "friend" Teddy...and everyone else grabbed their normal seats or an available seat. Arthur's eyes fell on Demorea and she smiled, flipping her long red hair from her eyes and sitting near Chet. He walked over to her and bent beside them.
"Dem....you know what todays about I trust? Minerva told you?"
"Yes sir." she smiled encouragingly. He starightened up and nodded, smiling.,
"Lets see how much you know about me...how much you've learned." Arthur chuckled and walked to the front of the room...
"Ok, open your books to page 356 and Vikky...you start reading." he adressed his granddaughter as he alwasy did, her face shinning red and eyes glimmering with anger. She stared at him devilishly and he only smirked as she began reading. He leaned against the desk casually, his hand in his pocket, book flat open on his other free hand; his eyes stayed focused on Demorea, instead of the book though.
"It is difficult to make a single, definitive description of the folkloric vampire, though there are several elements common to many European legends. Vampires were usually reported as bloated in appearance, and ruddy, purplish, or dark in colour; these characteristics were often attributed to the recent drinking of blood. Indeed, blood was often seen seeping from the mouth and nose when one was seen in its shroud or coffin and its left eye was often open. It would be clad in the linen shroud it was buried in, and its teeth, hair, and nails may have grown somewhat, though in general fangs were not a feature."
"False accusations." Demorea muttered, her pale skin turning the darker purple color they talked of. Immeditely, Arthur began speaking, stopping, again, all Hell breaking lose.
"Now....most Vampires hunt only animals' blood...why do some hunt human's?" as everyone looked at one another for help he looked over his spectacles and added, "If you all read what you were supposed to last weekend you would know." Still, no response and Arthur sighed.
"I don't take points away, but you Gryffindors would be losing a lot if I did....Now, the reasoning is, Human blood is sweeter than that of any mammal they usually hunt...periodically they hunt every other weekend, and every full moon....if they skip one of these dates for any unknown reason, human blood is what they look for to gain more so the strength they missed in any animal....make sense?"
"Somewhat." one student replied and Arthur nodded.
"Chet....continue reading please."
"Many elaborate rituals were used to identify a vampire. One method of finding a vampire's grave involved leading a virgin boy through a graveyard or church grounds on a virgin stallion—the horse would supposedly balk at the grave in a black horse was required, though in Albania it should be white. Holes appearing in the earth over a grave were taken as a sign of vampirism.
Corpses thought to be vampires were generally described as having a healthier appearance than expected, plump and showing little or no signs of some cases, when suspected graves were opened, villagers even described the corpse as having fresh blood from a victim all over its face. Evidence that a vampire was active in a given locality included death of cattle, sheep, relatives or neighbours. Folkloric vampires could also make their presence felt by engaging in minor poltergeist-like activity, such as hurling stones on roofs or moving household objects, and pressing on people in their sleep"
"Professor Weasley, I've one question regarding that paragraph...how are vampires described as, "plump" when the manner of drinking blood must require some energy..consider how long it takes to hunt and how much fiber the blood takes from you...theres no way you could look any different than you did when you went into the hunting process..if anything a bit thinner." Arthur took in a deep breath.
"Very good observation, Chet. Though, I believe the reasoning is, would be....that blood is in everyone beings body..it pumps their hearts, it gives them some strength, it keeps the living...I suppose, this is why God made it that way anyway...so if one were to hunt...and take someone else's blood...how would they survive? or, more to the point, how would it affect them? You see, Chet. Vampires, have been among us for years decades, centuries.....but not one mortal," he looked over at Demorea, right in her eyes as be said this, "Has taken the time...to not only study them...but get to know them."