Vampire
A vampire is a magical hominid that is famed for biting people on the neck and sucking their blood. They are part of the family of beings known as the Living Dead. They are created when a vampire bites a human.
Vampires
The average age of death for a vampire is 300 to 500 years old. Vampire hunting practices in the past have made it difficult to ascertain a definite natural lifespan for their species. It is rare but possible to come across individuals who have lived much longer than the average. It is rare to hear of vampires who have died of natural causes.
Vampires...
- Have fangs capable of easily piercing skin
- Drink blood to live
- Do not age
- Do not attend Hogwarts
- Do not use witchcraft, wizardry or wands
- Do not show up in mirrors or reflections, apart from in specially enchanted mirrors (rare)
- Can be photographed by magical cameras
- Can transform into a bat
- Cannot be killed with The Killing Curse
- Are vulnerable to sunlight, garlic and fire
- Able to be killed by a stake through the heart
- Have heightened sense of hearing and scent
- Have slower growth rate of hair and formation of muscles than humans
- Nearly unemployable by Wizarding standards
- Newly turned vampires often go through varying degrees of memory loss concerning the details of their human lives. This is commonly called the "fog" in the wizarding medical community. Memory loss is largely dependent upon the details of the vampire's turning, how traumatic the event was for the individual, and how they deal with their condition once they're turned. Memories can be recovered, with the timeline, effort, and success rate depending upon the individual.
Physical Attributes
Unlike humans, vampires do not physically age.
They have sharp fangs, capable of easily piercing skin.
They are usually much paler than they were while alive, but can exhibit a "healthy blush" after feeding.
In bat form they look like ordinary bats to the untrained eye, rather like spotting animagi.
Diet
Vampires drink blood, usually human, to live. They are able to tell the difference in taste between regular wizarding blood, Being blood, Werewolf blood and so on. Registered vampires must consume blood from Ministry approved sources, such as the Blood bank at St.Mungo's Hospital.
Honeydukes and other retailers provide blood-flavored snacks for vampires, such as Blood-Flavored Lollipops. These items tend to sate the appetite but are not necessarily nourishing long-term.
Regular human food may be consumed by vampires in very small amounts, although they do not find its flavours appetising and derive no nourishment from the act. Too much human food will make a vampire sick, although the exact limit differs for every individual.
Vampires can consume blood from animals. However, animal blood is usually not as satisfying to the appetite and may not be as nourishing as human blood.
Vampires find unicorn blood to be extremely attractive in scent, and intoxicating to drink. It is very potent and considered a vice for vampires. Unicorn blood has potentially strong side effects for vampires, similar to the side effects of human and wizarding vices like recreational drugs, potions, and distilled liquor.
Werewolf blood tastes bad to most vampires, the effect worsened when the werewolf is in beastly form. Direwolf blood is overwhelmingly repulsive, but as of 2011 no vampires are known to have tried it. [1]
Vampires have an exceptional aversion to garlic.
Abilities
- High resistance towards magic
- High resistance towards pain
- High resistance towards Legilimency
- Capable of sensing Dementors in proximity
- Natural affinity for blood magic
- Floating
- Hypnosis (practiced by older, more experienced vampires; Occlumens are resistant)
- Psychokinesis (practiced by older, more experienced vampires - varying from the levitation of small items to impelling larger objects/persons)
Turning
Vampires may only turn wixes into vampires. Muggles are unable to be turned into vampires.
In order to turn a wix, a vampire must drink their blood to the brink of death - which is to say, over a litre of their blood but not enough to entirely drain them. Should they be entirely drained, they will simply die. Outside of these conditions a vampire may recreationally drink from a person without turning them.
Ministry's Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans
Vampires must register with the Ministry of Magic. Upon being bitten, Vampires are required to owl in to the Ministry to be registered.
By registering, vampires agree not to perform illegal magic, as well as not to steal, kill, create more Vampires, or use their bat form to perform illegal activities, etc. They may then negotiate access to the Ministry's blood surplus supplies.
Consensual feedings between vampires and humans are prohibited. However, it is difficult to monitor such behaviour and it continues to be practiced in some circles.
Part XII of the Ministry's guidelines prohibits vampire hunting, of which registered vampires are protected against.
Vampire Rights
The rights of vampires in Great Britain is a contentious issue, as many members of wizarding society still carry old fashioned prejudices against the game beings. To date, they carry equal rights to other non-Human Beings such as Merpeople or Goblins. It is considered politically incorrect to insult their species or to use vampiric slurs such as "bloodsucker".
Unregistered Vampires
Unregistered vampires are illegal and will be under pursuit by the Ministry of Magic.
Vampires who feed on life are considered dark creatures and are not protected by the Ministry. Illegal vampires should interact with Aurors who would be responsible for tracking them down. Illegal vampires do not have rights in Britain, as they are considered unlawful and dangerous to the public.
Half Vampires
Relations between vampires and humans, although rare, is not unheard of. Only in the case of a male vampire and a witch can a half-breed offspring of the two become possible. These beings, referred to as half vampires, are unlike true vampires, and not just because they are alive (they are not classified as the Living Dead).
Half vampires...
- Have fangs capable of easily piercing skin
- Do age (although their lifespan is longer than normal witches and wizards)
- Do show up in mirrors and reflections
- Need blood sometimes, but mostly subsist on regular food
- Are magically allergic to garlic
- Use witchcraft/wizardry and have a wand
- Cannot turn into a bat
- Can be killed in the same ways as a human
- Are sensitive to sunlight
- Cannot turn others into a half vampire or vampire
Upon discovery of bearing a half vampire child, witches are required to report this information to the Ministry of Magic. They are then advised to remain under hospital monitoring, for the mother's own safety, as well as that of the child. Upon birth, the half vampires are automatically registered with the Ministry.
Relations of half vampires and human or vampire partners currently are unknown at this time, though full female vampires cannot have children since they are "dead" and cannot bear a living child. The currently unknown part is whether female half vampires can bear children.
Muggle Myths
- Coffins. Vampires, in the past, were accustomed to sleeping in coffins - largely because it was easier and stealthier to have protection charms or wards placed on a coffin than it was on a house/building. Particularly in eras before the Ministry’s guidelines made vampire hunting illegal. Nowadays some covens and traditionalists may still adhere to the custom.
- Invitations. Vampires do not require an invite from a homeowner to enter their abode but, like any other being, may be prevented from entering by a regular protection ward.
Little Known Facts
- Vampires typically have to feed on a monthly basis, although they may begin to feel hungry much sooner if they had not sated themselves during the last feeding.
- Blood pangs and cravings are at their strongest during a new moon: when the night it darkest, their hunger peaks.
- Some werewolves with acute sense of smell report that vampires can smell like raw meat.
