The one who called out to him was Gary, a notoriously useless wizard. Apart from his rare talent in potion-making, he was an all-around failure in every other magical discipline.
When Allen looked up in confusion, Gary proudly tugged the hand of a petite witch beside him and declared, "See? I told you, it really is him!"
Allen froze.
Wait a second… the last time he met Gary, he'd been using a disguise. Being recognized by a seasoned Auror back then made sense. But to be recognized now, by a nobody like Gary?
Allen glanced at the smug wizard pointing at his own nose and exchanging sweet nothings with the witch beside him. It didn't take long to figure out the uncomfortable truth he wished he hadn't realized, Gary had become a werewolf.
Not that Allen had anything against werewolves. Everyone had the right to pursue happiness. The real issue was... Gary had become a werewolf and was still useless. Somehow, he'd confused being a werewolf with being a dog.
Allen could only hope the tribe's chieftain didn't keel over from anger. Surely, she hadn't expected to welcome someone who practically insulted the pride of the entire werewolf race.
That said, Gary clearly had no idea how much his very existence was dragging down the dignity of his kin. Worse yet, his new partner didn't seem to mind in the slightest. In fact, Allen watched the witch playfully shove Gary with a grin, not out of anger, but in that sweet, flirty way couples do when they want to show off in front of single people.
And of course, that woman had to be Nellie.
Allen didn't believe for a second that this hopeless romantic could've fallen for someone else so quickly. Besides his knack for potions, Gary's only redeeming quality was probably his loyalty.
Sure enough, the werewolf proudly introduced his wife, yes, wife, as Nellie. Just like that.
"It's a shame," Gary said with visible regret. "Back then we really wanted you to be our witness… but we couldn't find any way to contact you."
Allen didn't feel the slightest bit sorry. Sure, Nellie looked like she'd make a good wife, but all he could think about was the memory of werewolves that night. He wasn't prejudiced, really, but the idea of attending a wedding where guests could easily get drunk and accidentally bite someone? No, thank you.
Allen didn't assume the whole werewolf tribe was full of saints just because this couple seemed decent. With a big enough forest, you were bound to find a few nutcases, and he wasn't about to take chances around tipsy, unstable werewolves.
Still, he couldn't just stand there without offering any blessings for the newlyweds.
Unfortunately, after patting himself down, Allen realized he didn't have anything suitable to give as a wedding gift.
"I'm sorry," he said with a note of genuine regret. "This was so unexpected, I should've brought a gift, but I wasn't prepared. Where are you two living now? I'll send something through Valorp later."
Gary's eyes lit up. "That's incredibly kind of you! We actually have our own place now. If you ever have the time, we'd be honored to have you over, even if it's just once."
So the werewolves had finally gotten an official residence from the Ministry? Allen wondered if this had something to do with that Auror he'd met…
Given that it was both a housewarming and a wedding celebration, Allen couldn't bring himself to decline. Besides, he had benefited greatly from that potion-making notebook Gary had once passed to him. Without it, he probably wouldn't have survived Professor Snape's class.
Annie, of course, had no objections, so it wasn't long before the group was standing in front of a public Floo Network fireplace.
Of course, the Floo Network wasn't free, 7 Knuts per use. Typical of the magical world's cutthroat capitalism; they had greed practically carved into their bones.
As the powder was tossed into the flames, the fire flared green. Then Gary shouted out the name of their destination:
"Gora Town!"
One by one, they stepped into the swirling green fire. After a whirlwind of spinning and dizziness, Allen stumbled out of a fireplace.
Thankfully, his balance and reflexes were solid. He landed, steadied himself with a quick touch of the ground, and shifted back into a standing position without toppling over.
He didn't even have time to brush the soot off his robes before extending his arms, because he knew who was coming next.
Right on cue, a smoke-stained little girl shot out of the flames. Before she could hit the ground, Allen caught Annie squarely in his arms.
And then, he burst out laughing.
It wasn't the joy of a warm welcome or a successful arrival.
It was because Annie looked ridiculous.
Her deep pink hair was dusted with soot, her wizard robes stained all over. She looked exactly like a mischievous child who'd spent the entire day playing with fire in the woods.
But before he could laugh any further, bang! A fireball exploded right in front of him, cutting his laughter short with a sharp yelp.
Though it wasn't dangerous, it was a harmless, low-heat magical flare, it produced thick, choking smoke thanks to incomplete combustion.
"Cough—Annie, cut it out—cough—seriously—cough—I didn't mean to—cough, come on, clean-up spell!"
Allen waved his wand, casting a Cleaning Charm. Instantly, the soot on Annie's clothes vanished.
Only then did he get around to cleaning himself up, just in time, as Nellie finally walked over with her wand raised, clearly intending to cast the same spell for them.
Not that she had meant to neglect them. As a woman, she naturally cleaned herself up first. As a partner, she had to care for her bumbling husband next. Allen and Annie being last in line was only fair.
Gary, meanwhile, had just recovered from the discomfort of magical travel.
This, Allen figured, was probably why the wizarding world invented that ridiculous Knight Bus, traveling by Floo was absolute torture for anyone with a weak constitution.
Under the guidance of their two hosts, Allen and Annie quickly passed the guard checkpoint. The guards even greeted Gary warmly, suggesting that, surprisingly, this useless potion-maker held some real status within the werewolf community.
And it showed.
Nellie, in her human form, was a stunning witch. And in the werewolf community, where not every member had magical talent, being both a beauty and a capable witch made her an undeniable prize.
For Gary to win her heart, he had to have some serious clout. Otherwise, someone would've torn him to pieces for even trying.
Gary, of course, was blissfully unaware of Allen's inner commentary.
Just past the checkpoint, he turned and pointed proudly toward the valley where a small town lay nestled among the hills.
"Sir," he said with pride, "welcome to our werewolf home, Gora Valley!"
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