Vampire

A vampire is a magical being that is known for biting people on the neck and sucking their blood. They are usually pale and gaunt, with sharp teeth for puncturing the neck. They have an aversion to garlic and can be kept at bay by its presence.

Vampires within the wizarding world
Vampires are classified as beings by the Ministry of Magic, a fact that led both the centaurs and merpeople to decline the same status since they did not wish to be associated with them, or hags. They are not considered to be wizards, and the treatment of vampires is laid down in the Ministry's Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans.

Although vampires are studied in Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, they obviously have rights and are not considered a true threat to the wizarding community. However, this view does not appear to be universally held. Some people, such as Rita Skeeter, advocate that the Ministry of Magic should be "stamping out vampires" rather than "quibbling about cauldron thickness," while others act as vampire hunters. Others hold the opposite view, such as the author, Eldred Worple, who spent time living among vampires, and wrote a book, Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires. He also considered the vampire Sanguini a friend.

Events involving vampires

 * Professor Quirinus Quirrell claimed to have had an encounter with vampires in the Black Forest during his break from teaching to get some "hands-on" experience with dealing with the Dark Arts. Whether this is true, or a cover to hide his encounter with Lord Voldemort in Albania, is unclear.
 * Gilderoy Lockhart wrote a book, Voyages with Vampires, about his supposed encounters with vampires. The book included information on a vampire that, after an encounter with Lockhart, could eat nothing but lettuce. As Lockhart merely took the credit for other wizards' accomplishments, this encounter was either entirely made-up, or occurred to someone else.
 * At Honeydukes, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger wonder what kind of sweets to get for Harry. Hermione rejects the blood-flavoured lollipops, saying that they must be for vampires.
 * In a Daily Prophet article, Rita Skeeter complains that the Ministry of Magic employees waste time arguing over cauldron thickness when they should be "stamping out vampires." Percy Weasley angrily rejects the criticism and points out that paragraph twelve of the Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans clearly forbids such a policy.
 * In 1995, Rubeus Hagrid had a disagreement with a vampire in a pub in Minsk on his way to parley with the giants.
 * During his History of Magic O.W.L., Harry suspects that his answer to the question how the Statute of Secrecy was breached in 1749 and what measures were introduced to prevent a recurrence is incomplete. He thinks that vampires were involved, but cannot remember the details.
 * Eldred Worple spent time living among vampires, and wrote a book, Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires.
 * Sanguini is a vampire who attended the Slug Club Christmas party during Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He was the guest of Eldred Worple.
 * Luna Lovegood believes that Rufus Scrimgeour is a vampire. Xenophilius Lovegood, her father, wrote a very long article about him in The Quibbler after he became Minister of Magic.

Known vampires

 * Amarillo Lestoat
 * Blodwyn Bludd
 * Count Vlad Drakul
 * Lady Carmilla Sanguina
 * Lorcan d'Eath (part-Vampire)
 * Sanguini
 * Sir Herbert Varney

Behind the scenes

 * It is unknown if the myths of vampires in the Muggle world are accurate about vampires in the wizarding world, such as being weak against sunlight, turning other humans into vampires through their bite, and that staking them in the heart would kill them.
 * Some fans had speculated that Severus Snape was a vampire because of his appearance and batlike, billowing robes. However, J. K. Rowling has said that this is not the case.
 * After Professor Remus Lupin was forced to quit his post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher when Professor Snape let it slip that he was a werewolf, Dean Thomas joked that maybe they would get a vampire as a teacher next.
 * When Harry Potter met Sirius Black for the first time, his impression of him was that he looked exactly like a vampire with his waxy white skin. Coincidentally, Gary Oldman, who portrays Sirius in the film adaptations, is widely known for his portrayal as the most famous vampire, Dracula, in Bram's Stoker's Dracula.
 * Blood-flavoured lollipops are sweets sold at Honeydukes. From the description, they appear to be aimed at vampire customers.
 * Luna Lovegood claimed that the former Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, was a vampire. Bill Nighy, the actor who portrayed him in the films, also portrayed a vampire in the Underworld films.
 * Lorcan d'Eath is a singer who is described as part-vampire. This may indicate that vampires can breed with humans.
 * Following the Quidditch World Cup, a young wizard once claimed he was a vampire hunter, in order to impress some Veela, and that he has killed about ninety or so times thus far, even though killing vampires is illegal according to "paragraph twelve of the Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans."
 * During the first Quidditch World Cup (1473), 700 fouls were created, one of which includes the release of a hundred vampire bats from underneath the robes of the Transylvanian Captain. It is unknown if vampire bats have any relation to vampires, aside from the fact they both drink blood (hence the name vampire).
 * According to W.O.M.B.A.T., vampire bites may be incurable.