Vampires

[lullaby BANG]

A lot of these questions I'm dealing with my fiction, Of Blood, but I'll take a stab at them.

A lot of fiction seems to portray vampires as immortal (until a steak is driven through their heart), or at least non-aging. Do you think this concept would play into the Potterverse at all?
Of course. Their immortality sets up their 'age.' So thus some of them could be technically around the time of the Founders. As well, like Nicholas Flamel, they have a vast history so that can be played up.

Does a simple bite make one a vampire, or is there more to it than that?
This is really up to interpretation. A more traditional interpretation is to be bit once and be infected with it. This is seen with the modern zombie as well where the disease rages uncontrollable; however, unlike the zombie, vampirism would not set in until nightfall. However, Rice's vampires are transformed into vampires by being bit and then drinking the blood of the vampire. And then Hamiltion's vampires have to bit the victim three days in three consecutive days, but there's room to forge your own idea of how a vampire is transformed.

Do vampires have to register with the Ministry like werewolves do? Can anyone see Hermione arguing as passionatly for vampire rights as she did for house elves and werewolves?
It's doubtful that vampires have to register unless they have magic abilities. Besides with Fenrir on Voldemort's side, I'm sure the Ministry's concern was more heavily directed towards werewolves than vampires. And no, I do not see Hermoine arguing for vampire rights because vampires drink blood, take human victims. I don't see her being an advocate for that kind of activity. At least with werewolves there is a 'cure' that's worth arguing for the werewolve sides but not vampires.

Does anyone see a possibility of a Ministry program to provide vampire with donated blood for food so they would hunt people (like the Clean Needle Program)?
Since I find it doubtful that the Ministry would care about the Ministry, I find it doubtful they would provide them with a food source/blood. Besides, in the Ministry's and wizards's minds, they are monsters because they feed off of blood so it would be hypocritical to donate blood.

We know that vampire are not sold wands, but if one came into their possesion some other way, would they be able to use it?
It depends on whether the vampire is magical or not. It's like a human: muggle or wizard. However, with their super abilities and immortality, it could be argued that a vampire is a magical being by nature, but it depends on whether vampires are divided by magic properities.

Do vampires have a place in wizard society? Would they be able to work alongside wizards, say in the Ministry, or would they be social outcasts like werewolves?
More likely outcasts. They can't stand the sun so daylight hours would limit them so unless they're security guards, I don't know how much value they would have in the workforce. They probably would be solitary, depending on other vampires. Unless their immortality/past could reveal something vitally important to the Ministry, I don't see the demand for them.

There are potions to control werewolves when they transform? Do you think there may be a potion to stop vampires from biting?
I don't find that plausible. If they don't bite, they don't drink blood. If you mean from not infecting people, well it depends on how they infect the person. But if you mean biting, I guess you could give a vampire a wine glass and tell them to drink it.... o.o Otherwise they bit they're food like we chew ours.

If you need anymore help, feel free to PM.
<321 jessica

[star_sailor]

Hey Molly! :]

A lot of fiction seems to portray vampires as immortal (until a steak is driven through their heart), or at least non-aging. Do you think this concept would play into the Potterverse at all?

It certainly could. You have to imagine all the countless theories on Vampires there are though. Whereas some might say vampires are immortal, I'd have to disagree; I think vampirism increases one's lifespan, but doesn't make them immortal. There'd be way to many vampires wandering around the Potterverse if older vampires didn't eventually die out, unless vampire hunting is VERY thorough.

Then again, vampires are hardly mentioned in the Potterverse. So as Kcharles says, you have free reign.

Do vampires have to register with the Minestry like werewolves do? Can anyone see Hermione arguing as passionately for vampire rights as she did for house elves and werewolves?

I'm almost positive they would, since they are a race regulated by the Ministry. Though if they were extra sneaky, they could probably hide the affliction for awhile, albeit the desperate need for a tan. And I can see Hermione showing sympathy to vampires. Vampirism isn't so terribly different from lycanthropy.

Does anyone see a possibility of a Ministry program to provide vampire with donated blood for food so they would hunt people (like the Clean Needle Program)?

I kinda imagined this all along. As mentioned, vampires are a "non-wizard part-human" race. Furthermore, they could easily used to have been wizards. If I were walking out at night one day, and bitten by a vampire, I would lose my privileges as a wizard and human all at once. I'd definitely seek some sort of compensation from the government.

I always assumed that the Ministry would offer services like donated blood (or what have you) so the vampires wouldn't be wandering around the countryside biting more folks and making more vampires. I've also had this vision of vampires living together in communes, away from heavily populated areas. But that part's just me.

We know that vampire are not sold wands, but if one came into their possestion some other way, would they be able to use it?

Certainly, if they were a wizard anyway. I believe that somewhere in the HP series, it was mentioned that vampires are inherently magical beings, though I have no evidence to show for it (where are all my books when I need them?!). But if the vampire in question was formerly a wizard, they probably knew a thing or two about magic, and would almost positively be able to still cast spells. Obviously, a Muggle-turned-vampire probably wouldn't place much stock in wands.

Do vampires have a place in wizard society? Would they be able to work alongside wizards, say in the Ministry, or would they be social outcasts like werewolves?

Somewhere in between, though, I'd lean toward the treatment that werewolves receive. Sure they have a place, but they're definitely feared beings because of their affliction, which is every bit a hazard as lycanthropy. I'm sure, like it was for Lupin, a vampire would be hard up for a job due to sanctions and laws put in place by the Ministry.

There are potions to control werewolves when they transform? Do you think there may be a potion to stop vampires from biting?

I don't think so, myself. The Wolfsbane Potion doesn't exactly control the werewolf, per say, instead making their dementia a bit more bearable. I see vampirism as every bit as tricky, so I don't think would be any sort of quick fix. Maybe, maybe, a potion that dulled the cravings, though I'm sure it'd be cumbersome to make. On the other hand, I think it's feasible that there are blood-substitutes, which have the same effect on vampires as drinking real blood would.

[Lyratearsx]

Does a simple bite make one a vampire, or is there more to it than that?

In my fanfic, I borrowed an idea from 28 days later (very gory) and I've put that you have to swallow or allow vampire blood into your bloodstream.

Hope this helps!

~Lyra

[hermione_granger4life]

A lot of fiction seems to portray vampires as immortal (until a steak is driven through their heart), or at least non-aging. Do you think this concept would play into the Potterverse at all?

I do. Vampires are pretty much always referred to as 'immortal beings'...and we all know immortal means they don't die ((unless staked of course...lol)) so I do think it would come into play in the Potterverse.

Does a simple bite make one a vampire, or is there more to it than that?

For the most part, most people have it happen with one single bite...but it's not as simple as it sounds. The vampire has to be careful not to drain too much blood or release too many toxins ((venom)) into the human's bloodstream. If they drink just one drop too much of their blood, they could kill the human instantaneously. You also have to deal with the whole self control thing; it would be kind of hard to drink the human's blood and then just pull back and stop.

Do vampires have to register with the Minestry like werewolves do? Can anyone see Hermione arguing as passionatly for vampire rights as she did for house elves and werewolves?

I'm pretty sure that they would HAVE to. It's kind of the Ministry's way of keeping tabs on everyone in the magical world. Vampires would most definately have to register, just like werewolves.

Does anyone see a possibility of a Ministry program to provide vampire with donated blood for food so they wouldn't hunt people (like the Clean Needle Program)?

If killing became an issue then I think they would instigate some kind of program like that just to protect their world's inhabitants from the unsatiable thirst of the vampires.

We know that vampire are not sold wands, but if one came into their possestion some other way, would they be able to use it?

I don't really know why they would need it. For the most part, Vampire's are thought of as extremely powerful beings--the whole bitten by a radioactive spider thing like super speed, super fast reflexes, super strength. But, I think it would be just like any other wizard. If they hae any magical abilities at all, they should be able to use the wand...whether or not it would work properly without it's sole owner, I don't know.

Do vampires have a place in wizard society? Would they be able to work alongside wizards, say in the Ministry, or would they be social outcasts like werewolves?

Hmm....I think they would be thought of as social outcasts.

There are potions to controll werewolves when they transform? Do you think there may be a potion to stop vampires from biting?

No. for vampires, their thirst for blood isn't just like a werewolf needing to transform; their thirst for blood is a bodily need. It's kind of like how us humans HAVE to eat and drink to survive--vampires HAVE to drink some type of blood to stay strong. Now they could make a potion that would make that thirst less severe so they COULD work alongside humans.


Hope that helps! Feel free to pm me as well!

**Emma

[OliveOil_Med]

Here are some more questions very specific to my story:



Do vampires need to drink human blood to survive?

Would they be able to tell the difference between human blood and animal blood; even if the animal were diguised as a human?

[Kcharles]

Do vampires need to drink human blood to survive?
I don't think so, but I think that they prefer human blood.

Would they be able to tell the difference between human blood and animal blood; even if the animal were diguised as a human?
I think that they would be able to tell.

[hermione_granger4life]

Do vampires need to drink human blood to survive?
Again, I think this particular question could be answered differently depending on who you ask. As far as I know, going off the little bit of vampire knowledge I have from my own OF research, twilight, and a show called Moonlight, and some random legends, No, the do not need human blood to survive. In the television show Moonlight, they drank pigs blood which I think was the closest thing to human blood. I think they prefer human blood and it might possibly give them more strength like in Twilight, but I think any animal would really do the job.

Would they be able to tell the difference between human blood and animal blood; even if the animal were diguised as a human?

Oh yes. An animal being disguised as a human has nothing to do with it's blood unless it had been through some random scientific testing where scientists scrambled the animal's DNA with human DNA. It would most certainly be a noticeable difference. First off, I'm almost positive the vampire would be able to tell it was an animal masquerading as a human just by it's smell; humans would smell quite different to a vampire then an animal would. Secondly, the blood is VERY different. Human blood is kind of like the finest kind of wine for vampires, they always desire it but try not to act upon those desires...unless they're evil, whereas the animal blood would be more like settling for a soda pop...lol.

If you need anymore help, feel free to pm.

**Emma

edit: Ha...I love how Jess and I are like, stalking this thread to post with more vampire info...lol.

[lullaby BANG]

Do vampires need to drink human blood to survive?
I'm fickled with this question. In the modern interpretation of vampires (Meyer's standpoint), her vampires can sustain off of a 'vegetation' diet of animal blood. However, Dracula is described as being 'simply engourged with human blood' which is a more traditional stance. I personally believe older vampires sustain off of human blood, bullying younger vamps to bring them victims while younger vampires have adapt to the new world and sustain off of animal blood, trying to hide themselves from society. But as KCharles mentioned, they much rather prefer human blood. It appears that it's always sweeter and more fulfilling.

Would they be able to tell the difference between human blood and animal blood; even if the animal were diguised as a human?
If vampires sustain less on animal blood, then they would be able to easily identify it as animal. Besides, the chemical makeup of animal blood to human is most likely different thus it would taste differently. Even disguised as a human, it still retains the genetic information like an animal.

edit: -laughs- Emma, it's funny how you brought in science as well!

<321 jessica

[Equinox Chick]

From my extensive vampire knowledge (Ok Buffy the Vampire slayer) I have an additional reply to one of your questions.

Does a simple bite make one a vampire, or is there more to it than that?
A vampire can choose whether to kill a victim or turn them into another vampire. If they decide to turn a victim into a vampire then they are their sire (if they're male) or their dam (if they're female).

Also don't underestimate the power of sunlight- it can burn them up, quickly.

[hermione_granger4life]

Hmm...actually, I would like to add something to the whole sunlight thing. I believe that on one of the websites I posted on the first page of this discussion, it talked about the myth of vampires being burned by the sun:

The Myth of Sunlight: Vampires are creatures of the night, living and feeding in the darkness. In traditional medieval times sunlight did not kill the vampire. In fact, vampires could walk around like anyone else. In the novel, Dracula, vampires could move around in the daytime without their strength and powers. It's only been in the recent history of fifty or sixty years that the new tradition of Sunlight killing vampires has emerged. Popular culture, movies and novels have made sunlight the ultimate vampire killer. However, if you ever run into a real vampire don't be surprised if they don't explode when sunlight hits them.

I honestly think it's up to the interpretation of the author as the whether or not they have the vampire burned by the sun or not.

**Emma