Pottermore's Sixth Christmas Invites Fans To Explore Vampires At Slughorn's Christmas Party

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Put on your best dress robes! For today's Pottermore Christmas surprise, Harry Potter fans get to crash Professor Slughorn's Christmas Party.

"Professor Slughorn decorates his office in a riot of colour for his Christmas party. Dust off your dress robes, answer our rhyming riddle and join in the festive Hogwarts spirit in today's surprise," said Pottermore's official website.

"Is Professor Snape a vampire? Explore Slughorn's office and read J.K. Rowling's final word on that popular rumour."

Vampires?! Snape?! I need to lie down.

But first, let's start with the riddle: "With vampires and authors and a gatecrashing Malfoy, Slughorn's Christmas party is one for [almost] all to enjoy! Much to the surprise of fans, friends and the rest, which loony Ravenclaw does Harry bring as a guest?"

The answer: Luna Lovegood.

Once you answer correctly the site plays festive music and you are brought right to a crowded room filled with all types of witches, wizards, and one vampire.

The scene is filled with holiday cheer- house elves serving treats and beverages, mistletoe hung where you can see- the works.

Fans can see Filch clutching Malfoy's ear after catching him at the party. In the distance you can see Harry and Luna shooting the breeze with Professor Slughorn.

Users can move their mouse over the scene to collect homemade mince pies, mistletoe berries, galleons, and more. Then, hover your mouse over the vampire on the left to read a new writing by J.K. Rowling!

In her new piece, "Vampires", we learn that although Harry and his friends learn about vampires in their Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, they don't play a huge role in the books.

"The vampire myth is so rich, and has been exploited so many times in literature and on film, that I felt there was little I could add to the tradition," Rowling said.

"...Aside from passing mentions, therefore, the only vampire whom Harry meets in the books is Sanguini in Half-Blood Prince, who makes a faintly comic appearance at a party."

Rowling said that in her earliest notebooks, however, there was originally supposed to be a subjectless vampire teacher at Hogwarts, called "Trocar." *Gasp*

"A Trocar is a sharply pointed shaft inserted into arteries or cavities to extract bodily fluids, so I think it a rather good name for a vampire," Rowling said.

"Evidently I did not think much of him as a character, though, because he disappears fairly early on in my notes."

Rowling also puts the kibosh on fan rumors that Professor Snape might be a vampire.

Rowling said it is impossible because he strolls around the castle by daylight, and "no corpses with puncture marks in their necks ever turn up at Hogwarts."

"In short, Snape is not a re-vamped Trocar," she concluded.

Glad we got that rumor out of the way, even though I may say Snape is definitely paler than most. After two days of waiting patiently, we finally get a new writing from J.K. Rowling, and it doesn't disappoint. Come back tomorrow for a full report on Pottermore's seventh day of Christmas.