26

So, we have the vampire Sanguini who is briefly seen in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

“Harry, I’d like you to meet Eldred Worple, an old student of mine, author of Blood Brothers: My Life Amongst the Vampires — and, of course, his friend Sanguini.”

"Sanguini, stay here!” added Worple, suddenly stern, for the vampire had been edging toward the nearby group of girls, a rather hungry look in his eye.

I haven't perused The Philosopher's Stone or The Chamber of Secrets (thoroughly) for quite a while, and I'm interested to know if there are any references or appearances of Rowling-vampires in there, or if Sanguini is the first mention of Rowling's concept of vampires.

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    Quirrell was looking for vampires before PS. I think Hagrid mentions it? – amflare Jul 6 '17 at 14:23
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    See scifi.stackexchange.com/q/28433/4918 where my question lists some of the times vampires are mentioned in Harry Potter. – b_jonas Jul 6 '17 at 17:01
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    In the Leaky Cauldron – Colonel Panic Jul 7 '17 at 9:28
48

The earliest mention is in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone Chapter 5: Diagon Alley.

‘What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?’ ‘D-Defence Against the D-D-Dark Arts,’ muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he’d rather not think about it. ‘N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?’ He laughed nervously. ‘You’ll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I’ve g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself.’ He looked terrified at the very thought.

We learn in Chapter 3 of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that Harry has seen a picture of a vampire in his DADA class.

Harry looked into the shadowed eyes of Sirius Black, the only part of the sunken face that seemed alive. Harry had never met a vampire, but he had seen pictures of them in his Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, and Black, with his waxy white skin, looked just like one.

As you say, the first time that he actually encounters one is in HP and the Half-Blood Prince

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  • Good call, I had forgotten that he said he was going to get a book on them before Hagrid's mention of them – Forral Jul 6 '17 at 14:29
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    @ibid - I've edited accordingly. You're right. He might have seen one in a previous year. – Valorum Jul 6 '17 at 16:37
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    Makes me wonder if vampires in the Harry Potter world can be seen by mirrors unlike the real world mythology. This would be required for a photograph to be taken. Unless the picture here is referring to is an illustration but then I suspect you couldn't see the "waxy skin". – DasBeasto Jul 6 '17 at 18:38
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    @DasBeasto There could absolutely be illustrations that show waxy skin, at least if they're in color. And maybe you can photograph vampires with a pinhole-type camera? – MissMonicaE Jul 6 '17 at 19:19
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    @MissMonicaE normal cameras don't use mirrors to actually take the picture (if you were using a [D]SLR you wouldn't be able to see them through the viewfinder but there isn't any mirrors between vampire and film/sensor) so a pinhole wouldn't make any difference – marcellothearcane Jul 6 '17 at 21:15
14

Vampires are mentioned in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone

In Chapter 5 Hagrid says the following when talking to Harry about Professor Quirrell

'They say he met vampires in the Black Forest and there was a nasty bit o' trouble with a hag – never been the same since.'

There was also mention in Chapter 8 that his classroom smelled strongly of garlic supposedly to ward off a Vampire he'd met in Romania.

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    They're mentioned, but this isn't the first mention. – Valorum Jul 6 '17 at 14:27

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