"It sounds like this Toreador clan isn't very harmful," Alan said, glancing at Newt tentatively.
"What, you want to keep her? The vampires of the Camarilla have a pretty good reputation in wizarding society. I also have a vampire friend from the Camarilla's Malkavian clan; he's an elegant and wise person," Newt said, a nostalgic smile appearing on his face as if recalling something interesting.
"Unlike werewolves, Camarilla vampires who adhere to their code do not lose their minds and harm people indiscriminately. However, wizarding society still holds prejudices against them. Although the International Confederation of Wizards specifically issued the 'Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans' to try and eliminate this discrimination, there are, after all, some uncertain factors about them, and they still fall under the category of Dark Arts creatures."
"Therefore, vampires living in wizarding society must register with the Ministry of Magic and be subject to supervision. Undeclared wild vampires are usually arrested and investigated, sometimes with long-term restrictions on their freedom. If they have a criminal record or a history of assault, they are sent to Azkaban."
"For non-native vampires like Shalltear, the Ministry's usual practice is to first detain them, then have the International Magical Cooperation Department communicate with the Magical Congress of the United States. After confirming they have no prior record, they are repatriated. After all, vampires are an uncertain factor, and no Ministry is willing to keep them voluntarily."
After explaining this to Alan, Newt looked at Shalltear again. "By the way, are you a carnivore or a vegetarian?"
"A vegetarian! I'm a vegetarian! You can rest assured, I haven't harmed a single soul since my transformation. If you understand our ways, you'll know the Toreador clan has always loved peace and maintained a good relationship with the American wizarding world. I'm willing to swear by the name of the progenitor, sirs—please don't abandon me. If I'm sent back, I'll surely die a miserable death."
Shalltear realized that the old man next to Alan knew far too much about vampire ecology. Combined with Alan's sharp, knife-like gaze, she no longer held any illusions of deception. She didn't dare lie. Now, she could only stare at the two with her large, watery eyes, hoping to arouse their sympathy.
"Vegetarian? Is there such a thing as a vegetarian vampire? Don't they drink blood?" Alan asked, surprised to hear of something he hadn't encountered in his textbooks.
"Ah, that's just a jocular term within their society," Newt explained. "Within the vampire community, some individuals call themselves vegetarians. They adhere to their code, do not actively kill, and do not consume raw blood. They usually consume animal blood after cooking it, because consuming raw blood regularly can easily cause vampires to lose their minds. More rational vampires will deliberately suppress the urge to drink fresh blood."
"Actually, the vampire diet is quite broad, basically similar to humans. I even know some vampires who only like sweets and pasta. The desire to consume blood is just an instinctive urge for most of them. This instinct is more pronounced in those with purer bloodlines. Vampires of lower transformation generations have less craving for fresh blood; after all, they were all humans before being converted, and many still maintain human living habits."
"Vampires who eat meat are generally called sanguivores. They regularly consume raw blood, and among them, there are conservatives and wild ones. Among the conservatives, some acquire blood through special channels from Muggle society for consumption, while others feed on animal blood. They are relatively restrained and do not directly consume human blood. Of course, this might also be for their own safety, as malicious attacks on humans always attract the Ministry's hunt."
"However, the wild ones are not so gentle. They advocate returning to bestiality, are extremely aggressive, and take pride in attacking and consuming human blood. Some wild clans will even keep humans like livestock, including wizards. More civilized wild ones will develop blood servants among humans as a long-term supply."
Newt paused and glanced at Shalltear. "Even... some bloodlines, to enhance their strength, attack their own kind and feed on vampire blood. Consuming the blood of their own kind, especially higher-ranking bloodlines, can accelerate their growth and close the generation gap."
"However, doing so also has drawbacks; it causes severe bloodlust. They will increasingly crave blood, even vampire blood, which eventually leads those bloodlines to descend into madness. Wild bloodlines have always been hated by Ministries in various countries; once discovered, they are hunted with full force."
"That's right," Shalltear nodded quickly. "The Sabbat vampire clans are all sanguivores, and there are many wild members among them. The reason we clashed with them is that their leader suffers from bloodlust every few decades, so they attack our Camarilla clans every so often. The reason I escaped being eaten was because I was too weak. Although the Sabbat bloodlines are fewer in number, their bloodline levels are very high. Consuming my blood would even dilute their bloodline, which is why I was sold to the black market controlled by the Silver Spears."
"So that's how it is. If we keep Shalltear, what needs to be done?" Alan asked Newt thoughtfully.
"Actually, this matter is both difficult and simple," Newt said, winking at Alan. "If this young bat is truly a vegetarian as she claims, the harm is not great. Whether to keep her or not is debatable."
"Given your relationship with the Ministry, if you are willing to vouch for her, I don't think they will make things difficult for you. I remember you're quite familiar with Director Bianca of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, aren't you? She's in charge of this area. But do you really plan to keep a vampire?"
"She did help me in the previous battle—provided she doesn't cause me trouble," Alan said, staring at Shalltear indifferently. Beyond her small assistance, he was genuinely interested in vampires as a species. If he kept one around, perhaps he could study her. Of course, it wasn't convenient to say such a thing to her face.
"I won't cause any trouble, sir! Shalltear is very well-behaved. As long as you are willing to keep me, I will be as obedient as a lady!" Realizing Alan had relented, Shalltear looked at the young wizard excitedly, patting her chest to guarantee her cooperation.
*You? Obedient?* Alan immediately recalled the scene of this girl spouting obscenities at Thunderbird earlier. If he were to believe her guarantee, he might as well believe the Earth was flat.