Two days later, the two returned to Hogwarts.
From the ancient elegance of Japanese architecture to the centuries-old Hogwarts castle, the stark contrast in scenery made Audrey feel as if she had just woken from a dream.
Of course, the photos in the camera proved that everything had indeed happened.
They quickly resumed their studies. Audrey seized every opportunity to pester her professors with questions. With additional private tutoring from Professor McGonagall, she finally began to grasp Transfiguration.
Meanwhile, Edward focused on practising the four spells he had learned from Grindelwald.
The Stunning Spell and Fire Shield were not too difficult, but the Lightning Summoning Spell required specific casting conditions, and the Fire Dragon Spell always went out of control upon release—essentially turning into Fiendfyre.
His progress was not going well.
On the other hand, the Mandrake leaf he had tucked under his tongue was no longer an issue; he had somehow gotten used to it, and it neither interfered with his speech nor risked being accidentally swallowed in his sleep.
Whenever he was too exhausted from training and happened to have no classes, Edward would tag along with Audrey to audit her lessons.
He personally witnessed Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy's endless bickering, Neville Longbottom losing a Remembrall every other class, Hermione Granger's encyclopedic knowledge, and Seamus Finnigan's spectacular explosions.
During his last time sitting in on a class, Edward asked Audrey to deliver the revolver and purification bullets he had purchased to Harry.
If Wormtail and Voldemort decided to stir up trouble during this period, he wouldn't be able to provide any help from the other world. Hopefully, this revolver would prove useful in a critical moment.
Harry didn't quite understand the purpose of the gift, but he didn't refuse the "kind gesture" either.
Edward also helped Lupin brew a batch of Wolfsbane Potion. However, since he didn't follow Snape's instructions to add extra herbs, he suffered a verbal lashing from the Potions Master. Undeterred, he shamelessly promised to "get it right next time," in exchange for Snape repairing the Vanishing Cabinet for him.
Wormtail, however…was still missing.
With everything settled, the time to return to the Mysteries World finally arrived.
Having informed Dumbledore in advance, the two made their way to the Room of Requirement. Edward headed straight for the stacked cabinets in the corner and retrieved two items he had hidden away for a long time:
One was Ravenclaw's diadem. The other was the Resurrection Stone ring that should have been locked away in the Gaunt family's shack.
Among Voldemort's six Horcruxes (not counting Nagini, as she hadn't yet become one, and Harry Potter himself), these were the only two he could obtain directly. Getting the ring from the Gaunt shack had been an absolute ordeal.
As for the remaining three—Hufflepuff's cup was stored in Bellatrix's Gringotts vault, Slytherin's locket was in the possession of the Black family's house-elf, and the diary was most likely still with Lucius Malfoy.
Audrey curiously asked, "What are these?"
"Two ancient alchemical artefacts—one is the diadem once worn by Rowena Ravenclaw, and the other is the Resurrection Stone, a legendary Deathly Hallow. I want to see if, after absorbing the grey fog from The Fool's palace, they'll transform into Beyonder artefacts."
"This sounds like a good thing. Why do you look hesitant?"
Edward sighed. "Because both of these alchemical items contain fragments of a certain evil person's soul. I'm not sure what will happen after they absorb the grey fog."
Audrey laughed. "Then why not offer them as a sacrifice to Mr. Fool and ask for His help in purifying them? That should work, right?"
No way! If I do that, I might end up hosting the next Tarot meeting as a noseless guy!
Edward ultimately decided to take both items with him. "Oh, right, I forgot to mention—probably because I've become a Beyonder, we'll be staying in your world for eighteen days this time, and this world will also pass by eighteen days."
"Huh? More time?" Audrey pursed her lips and glanced at her suitcase, looking regretful. "If I'd known, I would've brought more things back!"
It's just three extra days…You just want an excuse to shop more, don't you? Guess girls are the same no matter what world they're from.
———
As his vision blurred, Edward once again returned to the Mysteries World.
Just as he opened his pouch, a nimble black shadow darted out.
"Lilith?! When did you sneak in there?!"
Edward had just exclaimed her name when he hurriedly covered his mouth—this world had a Goddess whose true name was also Lilith.
In the original work, those who dared to call a deity by their true name often met miserable fates. And now, he had just blurted out "Lilith"…
Lilith let out a meow and glanced around, then glared at Edward with an expression that clearly said, You were going to leave me behind again, weren't you? (▼へ▼メ).
Audrey climbed out of the pouch next. She patted her chest and said, "Lilith had been hiding under the sofa the whole time. She suddenly jumped out and scared me. What's wrong with you?"
Edward hesitated, unsure—had nothing really happened? Had he avoided attracting the Goddess's attention, or was there some other reason?
Wait, the current Lilith was in a 'fallen' state. If the one impersonating the God of Combat's mother were to punish people just for mentioning the name "Lilith," wouldn't that make the God of Combat suspicious?
With that thought, Edward's nerves settled slightly. Watching Lilith scamper around the room sniffing and rubbing against things, he hesitated.
Maybe…I should change her name?
He grabbed Lilith by her front paws and lifted her up. "Let's make a deal—how about I start calling you Lily instead?"
Lilith twisted her body impatiently and broke free, then continued exploring Audrey's room, sniffing and rubbing against furniture.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, followed by Susie's voice. "Audrey, may I come in?"
"Go ahead!"
Before travelling to the Harry Potter world, they had instructed Susie to patrol the area and count to 100 before returning.
Susie pushed the door open and stepped inside. As soon as she entered, her nose twitched as she sniffed the air. Her voice vibrated slightly as she remarked, "There's a new scent."
The next second, the cat and the dog locked eyes.
Lilith instantly puffed up, her tail standing on end, as she stared at Susie and let out a threatening growl: ((`□′)!!
Meanwhile, Susie's tail wagged furiously. She turned to Audrey, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Audrey, is this a pet you got for me?"
Aren't you supposed to be the pet here?
Edward silently complained, scooping Lilith into his arms and grabbing her right paw to make her 'wave' at Susie.
"Susie, this is my pet, Lilith…Uh, Lilith. You two can play together from now on."
"That's great!!"
Susie twirled around in excitement. Despite her usual habit of silently observing from the shadows, appearing calm and composed, she was, after all, just a young dog who had only recently come of age.
Lilith, on the other hand, shrank back into Edward's arms, visibly intimidated by Susie. Audrey gently stroked the kitten's head and chuckled. "Don't be scared, Lilith. Susie is kind and well-behaved."
"That's right! I'm a good dog!"
As Susie spoke, she quickly ran to her usual hiding spot in the shadows and retrieved a piece of dried chicken meat, placing it on the floor. "Here, this is for you!"
Lilith twitched her nose, seemingly tempted. She glanced at Edward for confirmation.
Edward squatted down, set her on the floor, and gave her a gentle nudge. "Go on."
After much hesitation, Lilith finally approached cautiously. Then, in the blink of an eye, she snatched the chicken and bolted.
Susie instinctively started chasing her but stopped after just two steps. "Don't run! It's a gift for you!"
Lilith leapt onto the couch. Seeing that Susie wasn't pursuing her, she relaxed and began eating, occasionally casting a wary glance at Susie. (￢_￢)
Susie, however, simply sat obediently, watching Lilith with an amused, almost doting expression.
Well, great. She totally sees Lilith as her pet now, huh?
At that moment, Edward thought for a moment and said, "Audrey, the role of the Trickmaster requires frequent public performances. But with the Aurora Order being a wildcard in Backlund, I think it's best to switch to a different city."
"Huh? Where do you plan to go?"
"I'm still considering." The first city that popped into his mind was Tingen, but he quickly dismissed the thought. Although Megose was no longer a threat, Tingen was still the starting point of everything. It was best to stay as far away from it as possible.
He then took out a Vanishing Cabinet. "I'll leave this one with you. I'll keep the other inside my leather pouch. If you ever need to find me, you can use this. Of course, you can also send a message through my messenger."
Audrey nodded. "Alright."
"I'll be off now."
Edward turned to Lilith, who was still gnawing on the dried chicken. "Do you want to come with me, or would you rather stay here?"
Lilith's ears perked up. She picked up the chicken in her mouth and leaped straight into Edward's arms.
With a crack, both man and cat vanished into thin air.
"Ah, they're gone."
Susie looked longingly at the spot where Edward had disappeared.
Audrey patted her head with a smile. "You'll get to play together again in the future~"
"Mm-hmm!"
Susie's tail began wagging happily again.
———
After leaving the Earl Hall estate, Edward made his way to the Metropolitan Housing Improvement Association—essentially the official rental agency.
The reason for renting an apartment in Backlund was simple: regardless of where he went next, he would be using a Portkey to travel back and forth. The new apartment would serve as his anchor point in Backlund.
As for why he didn't use Audrey's place? That was also straightforward—if the Aurora Order really did come knocking, he didn't want them tracing the connection back to her.
After some searching, he finally settled on a small one-bedroom apartment at 88 Minsk Street in the Cherwood Borough, renting it for eight soli per week.
The unit was fully furnished, and the landlord had even left a note emphasizing that the custom-made mattress in the bedroom was particularly soft and comfortable—unfortunately, due to work reasons, they had to move out.
By the time Edward finished signing the lease and arrived at 88 Minsk Street, night had already fallen.
The moment Lilith entered, she started rubbing herself against everything, marking the unfamiliar space with her scent.
Edward took a quick tour around the apartment before his gaze landed on the stack of firewood by the fireplace. The rental came with this little 'bonus', enough to last a week during winter.
He picked out a piece, inspected it closely, and then slid it back in. Looking at the pile, it was impossible to tell which one he had taken. "This will do. Something this unremarkable is perfect for making a Portkey."
Satisfied, he tossed the piece of firewood into his leather pouch.
"Meow! <(ˉ^ˉ)>"
At that moment, Lilith jumped onto the couch in front of him, a struggling rat clutched in her jaws.
Edward yelped in surprise and scrambled backwards.
"Meow (ω`)"
Lilith tilted her head, seemingly confused. She placed the rat on the floor, held it down with a paw, and pushed it toward him as if offering him a gift.
Edward quickly raised his hands. "I don't eat rats! And if possible, could you stop eating them too? We have dried fish and chicken now."
Lilith obviously didn't understand a word he said. She let out a questioning meow, then snatched up the rat and darted off to some hidden corner to enjoy her meal.
Edward sighed. "Oh well…Cats eating mice is just nature taking its course."
———
The next morning, Edward was jolted awake by the rough, sandpaper-like texture of Lilith's tongue licking his face. He groaned, rolled over, and gently pushed her away.
"Meow! (▼皿▼#)"
Lilith retaliated by leaping high into the air and landing squarely on Edward's face, all four paws pressing down.
"Ow! Bloody hell!"
A few minutes later, Lilith was happily munching on a can of wet cat food, while Edward, still groggy, trudged into the bathroom to wash up.
He hadn't slept well at all. Compared to the soft beds at Hogwarts and the luxurious mattresses in the Hall estate, this so-called "custom-made" mattress was stiff as a board, so hard that even turning over in his sleep felt painful.
To make matters worse, Lilith had been zooming around the apartment all night like a parkour athlete. It wasn't until around two or three in the morning that he finally managed to doze off.
Knock, knock, knock.
A familiar knocking sound echoed through the apartment.
Edward felt a chill run down his spine. His body tensed, and his sweat glands kicked into overdrive.
"No way…Not again?!"
At this point, he was pretty sure he had developed some sort of "knocking PTSD."
Megose should have been reduced to ashes in the cursed flames of Fiendfyre. If it was the Aurora Order, would they really knock so politely?
Thinking quickly, he called out toward the door, "Hello, who is it? I'm in the middle of washing up. Please wait a moment."
An elderly voice replied, "I am from the Church of the Evernight. I have urgent matters to discuss with Mr. Edward."
"The Church of the Evernight?"
Edward froze. He had no dealings with them.
—No, wait!
Hadn't he shattered the church's stained-glass window? And wasn't he currently wanted under the name 'Blasphemer'?!
Oh, shit. The jig is up.
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.