"So—you're calling this Animagus?"
Hermione spoke with both hands firmly covering her eyes. They were still floating high in the sky, and she feared accidentally glancing down and "falling asleep" again.
"It can be considered one." Sterling lied with as much sincerity as he could muster.
"Even I know Animagus transformations can't produce magical creatures!"
This statement surprised both Sterling and Hermione, coming from Ron of all people.
"Why are you both looking at me like that!" Ron flushed slightly, his ears turning red. "After learning Sterling was studying Animagus, Harry and I specifically researched it in the library together!"
"Alright alright—but what Grandma Ursula transformed into genuinely isn't a magical creature. Truly just an ordinary animal."
"You mean a creature the size of a capital city, amphibious, smoothly travelling from the deep ocean to above the clouds—this isn't a magical creature?" Hermione's voice dripped with scepticism.
"Correct." Sterling closed his eyes deliberately, since he couldn't yet manage lying with them open.
"Then let's just accept it, I suppose." Hermione was utterly speechless.
"Speaking of which—can we really bring Harry back?"
Ron's expression looked deeply troubled, his brow furrowed with worry. "Sterling, if you needed such a powerful wizard to help us, does that mean whoever took Harry is also this formidable?"
"It's completely unimaginable that wizards can do things like this. Even Professor Dumbledore probably can't transform into something this massive, right?"
Hard to say definitively. Sterling still remembered the seemingly endless stone wall Dumbledore had conjured in the Forbidden Forest on Halloween—its scale had been clearly more magnificent than even Atlantis's impressive fortifications.
But whether Dumbledore could genuinely match Avalonian great wizards in raw power—Sterling truly didn't know for certain.
Whether Dumbledore or Maleficent and the others, Sterling had never witnessed them truly going all out with their full capabilities. By pure performance Sterling had personally witnessed, Vivian actually ranked last among them.
Sterling's impression of Vivian's magic remained abstract potion-brewing techniques and seemingly nothing else particularly combat-orientated.
Sterling shook his head, dismissing these thoughts. The urgent matter was easing Ron and Hermione's mounting anxiety—and most importantly, informing them what crucial taboos to observe.
He'd already spotted familiar scenery far below on the ground. The Black Mirror Kingdom should come into view soon.
As for why he could see ground details from above the clouds—divine flesh, quite magical, right?
"Harry's situation is like—have you read stories about accidentally entering secret realms or hidden worlds? Harry's similar, so we won't necessarily face direct conflict with the Queen. I found Grandma Ursula just for insurance, ensuring our opinions are taken seriously and we have backup if needed."
"Right, after landing, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely don't look at anything that can reflect light—meaning all things that can be considered mirror surfaces."
"Sterling!" Ron raised his hand like they were still in class. "Things that can reflect light—what exactly are those?"
Sterling mentally kicked himself. He'd forgotten that wizarding families didn't attend primary school, completely lacking basic Muggle scientific knowledge. Or maybe the magical world explained mirrors through different principles than the Muggle world?
"Just understand it as anything you can see your own reflection in clearly—if that doesn't work, just think mirrors, polished glass, and still water surfaces."
"If we look by accident—" Hermione liked preparing for worst-case scenarios, always planning contingencies.
"Then you might lose knowledge or wisdom permanently."
Hermione showed an expression like the sky itself was falling. Sterling knew with absolute certainty she'd taken his warning deeply to heart.
But Ron's expression seemed considerably less concerned...
"Wizard chess skills also count as knowledge, and courage might disappear too along with memories."
Ron immediately adopted an intensely alert expression, his casual demeanour vanishing instantly.
Merlin's beard, so he really hadn't cared much about wisdom and knowledge as a wizard's foundation just moments ago?
Sterling wanted to facepalm bitterly with frustration. For an instant he understood Professor Snape's perpetual exasperation perfectly. If he were a Hogwarts professor, he'd definitely dock Gryffindor fifty points immediately, then confine Ron from enrolment day straight through to final exams. No, without properly understanding knowledge and wisdom's fundamental importance, no summer vacation privileges either!
Suddenly, intense weightlessness gripped them without warning.
Ursula had skipped the "gradual descending flight" process entirely, directly and completely withdrawing her flying ability, beginning pure free fall with Sterling's terrified trio.
This time neither Hermione nor Ron could manage coherent speech. They desperately clutched the coiling tentacles wrapped around them, wishing to merge completely with the rubbery flesh for security.
Sterling's expression remained perfectly serene and unbothered.
This was just his daily routine by now—he even found this altitude disappointingly low compared to normal.
"SPLAT—"
Just microseconds before ground contact, Ursula's entire massive body began flowing like liquid black "ink". This ink wrapped protectively around Sterling's trio, cushioning their landing so they touched down safely without any harm from the catastrophic free fall.
Then the indescribable octopus form condensed rapidly into a person-height gelatinous mass. After Ursula's human form emerged smoothly, she casually shrank the remaining mass and swallowed it whole with one gulp.
Honestly... somewhat horrifying to witness. Sterling internally criticised the display but showed nothing externally, maintaining his composure. He pulled Hermione and Ron free from the clinging ink residue, watching Hermione desperately cast repeated Scouring Charms on her now-stained clothes.
Ron was considerably braver—or more foolish—actually preparing to taste the mysterious ink's flavour directly. Hell! Double student of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff recklessness combined, are you?
Sterling quickly knocked away Ron's cupped handful of ink before it reached his mouth, then raised his wand to cast a thorough Scouring Charm on the boy himself.
"Oh, what a wonderful magical structure—actually using magic power for... mm, this represents quite efficient practical usage."
Ursula approached curiously, observing their precise spellcasting motions with analytical interest, then replicated the wand movement and cast one on herself experimentally.
Slight dust particles from their dramatic landing instantly disappeared without trace. Ursula blinked with genuine surprise at the effectiveness.
This magical structure felt somehow strangely familiar, like something she'd encountered before. But how could present-world magic possibly feel familiar to her?
All magic she knew should only circulate within Avalon's protected boundaries...
"Grandma Ursula?" Sterling waved his hand before the momentarily dazed Ursula's face.
"Mm." Ursula didn't rashly reveal her puzzling thoughts aloud, dismissing her momentary distraction with practised ease.
"A bit further ahead lies the Black Mirror Kingdom's outer boundaries—I can't directly land inside the city proper. Those spaces are stacked together in folded dimensions. Without passing through the designated gate to lock spatial coordinates, even I don't know which random space layer I'd accidentally land in."
"After all, space manipulation isn't my speciality field. The only great wizard who could genuinely match that old woman in spatial magic is probably just that mischievous child blessed with Poet Magic."
Ursula sprinkled some unknown shimmering powder on Ron and Hermione's heads with gentle motions. Their previously nauseated, dizzy heads instantly cleared with remarkable effectiveness, the disorientation vanishing.
They looked at Ursula with newfound admiration bordering on awe—especially Ron, whose expression made Sterling genuinely wonder whether Ursula or Dumbledore now held the position of his most admired wizard.
"Alright children, we should find your missing friend—Harry Potter? That's the correct name, right? The Boy Who Lived?"
Ursula walked ahead confidently, leading the way—actually unnecessary navigation since just one broad cobblestone road led straight and unwavering to the Black Mirror Kingdom's imposing gate.
"Harry Potter is also our saviour!" Ron declared proudly, chest puffed out.
"Saviour—hehe—" Ursula laughed with barely concealed amusement. "So what exactly did this child accomplish?"
Sterling notably hadn't mentioned this particular child possessing any "Saviour" title when originally telling her Harry's story.
"Harry defeated the terrible You-Know-Who—the Dark Lord Voldemort—restoring peace to British magical society—" Clearly Ron was trying desperately hard, reciting memorised magical history content, but Hermione's unbearable pained expression explained everything about his accuracy.
"Hmm... feels considerably more like 'Hero' than genuine 'Saviour' to me."
Ursula immediately lost substantial interest in the topic.
Just "British magical society"? Though not understanding the present world's complete political structure particularly well, since it specified some-country-or-other, it inherently couldn't represent the entire present world's population.
Someone saving a single kingdom from a Dark Lord's tyranny—what else could that possibly be but a traditional hero?
Speaking of Ursula-recognised genuine "Saviour" status, that exalted title could only apply to that legendary saint who miraculously ascended after resurrection.
"Oh, we've arrived at the boundary."
Sterling spotted a white-cloth-wrapped humanoid figure standing motionlessly quiet under the towering city wall, seemingly waiting patiently for them all along. The figure began walking over the exact moment it spotted their approach.
"Greetings, Great Ocean Witch—and Dragon Witch's esteemed disciple and his companions."
The figure bowed deeply and formally, nearly forming a perfect ninety-degree right angle with meticulous precision.
"The Queen already knows your purpose for visiting. Please follow me immediately—"
"Wait, you said the Queen already knows what we want to do?" Hermione peered cautiously from behind Ursula's protective presence.
"Is the Queen a prophet? Or fortune-teller perhaps? I mean, can the Queen actually see future events before they occur?"
"The Queen doesn't personally possess the gift of glimpsing future timelines, but the Queen's alchemical creations can bring future possibilities into present view. Any further questions?"
The white-cloth person answered with continued respect and patience.
Creations that could predict futures... The Queen truly was a superior-level alchemist of extraordinary skill.
Sterling raised the Queen's threat assessment status considerably higher in his mental calculations. He'd harboured this assumption since Scholar of Stars had concluded the mysterious mirror originated from the Queen's workshop.
How terrifying an alchemist became on their own prepared ground—Sterling, currently learning alchemy fundamentals himself, understood this tactical advantage intimately well.
Moreover—creations capable of predicting future events... Sterling didn't know if even Nicolas Flamel could create such sophisticated items. At least for Professor Vitam, it would constitute complete fantasy beyond her capabilities.
"I can also enter the Black Mirror Kingdom?" Ursula asked with surprising uncertainty, pointing at herself. The white-cloth person shook his head with definitive firmness.
"Unfortunately, the Queen respectfully requests meeting you outside the city boundaries after the Dragon Witch's disciple and companions enter. And guarantees their three lives' absolute safety. Please trust that even the Black Mirror Kingdom wouldn't wish to antagonise three great wizards simultaneously over such matters."
"Alright, I suspected as much—"
Ursula waved dismissively, then explained to the still-clueless trio watching this exchange.
"I possess too much concentrated magic power in one location. Entering the Black Mirror Kingdom's delicately folded spaces might accidentally collapse some critical magical structures supporting them. That would be catastrophically bad for everyone."
"Yes, therefore I shall only open the dimensional gate for your three companions."
The white-cloth person bowed again deeply. He seemed to genuinely like this particular motion—also bowing mid-sentence when addressing Ursula just moments earlier.
"Can't Sister Ursula accompany us inside for protection?" Hermione's nervousness returned with renewed intensity.
"Correct, she cannot. Please trust we shall ensure your physical and mental health receives full protection throughout."
"Alright then—are we going directly to the royal city?"
Sterling inserted himself into the conversation purposefully. The white-cloth person showed clearly more enthusiasm and deference toward him than Hermione, his body bending down respectfully again.
"Not so, esteemed Dragon Witch's disciple."
"The Harry Potter you seek should currently reside in Storage Room Thirteen—namely designated Utopia, not belonging to the same dimensional space as Storage Room One, where the royal city properly resides."
"Storage rooms? What are those exactly?" Sterling noticed this strange designation system with keen interest. Even the royal city was classified as a storage room?
"Apologies, this constitutes the Black Mirror Kingdom's important confidential secret. The Queen hasn't temporarily granted you access rights to that information. You may enquire after obtaining the Queen's explicit permission."
This time the figure bent even more extremely—Sterling felt certain it had achieved an acute angle somehow.
Hermione asked several additional security-related questions with typical thoroughness. The white-robed person answered each inquiry patiently, somewhat easing Hermione's frayed nerves.
Ron... where has Ron disappeared to?!
Sterling turned sharply to find Ron mysteriously missing from their group. Looking around frantically, he'd already run to the imposing city wall, eyes shining with pure delight while stroking an ornate suit of armour with reverent hands.
Unlike Hogwarts' old, battered, decidedly unheroic-looking armour, this gleaming, pristine set completely captured Ron's imagination and heart just by existing.
"Ron!" Sterling called darkly, pulling the distracted boy back firmly by his collar.
"May I now open the dimensional gate for you?"
After receiving Sterling's confirming nod, the white-robed person clapped once with echoing resonance. Just like when Sterling had first witnessed the Black Mirror Kingdom's miraculous "opening", the massive gate began rotating with mechanical precision.
The white-robed person was suspiciously much higher-ranked than whoever had opened the gate for Sterling's previous visit. Kaleidoscope-like dimensional spaces rapidly rotated under his precise finger control, showing absolutely no physical strain whatsoever.
Even the characteristic glass-breaking sound was substantially much quieter than Sterling remembered from last time.
Hermione and Ron watched this objectively "beautiful" scene in slack-jawed amazement—undoubtedly the largest, most complex "kaleidoscope" either had ever witnessed in their lives.
After a prolonged moment of careful manipulation, the white-robed person locked onto one specific fragment, then made a deliberate pushing-pulling gesture, magically enlarging that tiny fragment to occupy the entire gate's massive scale.
Unlike the royal city's pure white featureless plane, this Utopia entrance clearly showed internal appearance—the all-too-familiar Hogwarts castle viewed from the distinctive station platform perspective.
"What is this exactly?"
Sterling asked the white-robed person directly, who also displayed a genuinely surprised expression for the first time.
"This isn't any location within Avalon's known territories—error detected—error detected—accessing central hub consciousness—first repair inspection in progress—inspection complete."
The white-robed person convulsed briefly with jerky movements, then bowed again with restored smoothness.
"Esteemed Dragon Witch's disciple, everything within Utopia changes automatically according to the will of those brought inside. This scene is precisely the location where Harry Potter feels most profound happiness."
Sterling first quickly checked Hermione and Ron, confirming they were completely absorbed in the miraculous gate and internal Hogwarts scenery without noticing the white-robed person's distinctly abnormal performance, then sighed with relief.
So it was an alchemical creation, some kind of sophisticated golem...
Sterling glanced meaningfully at the white-robed person once more, then walked forward to repeat the explanation to Hermione and the others in simpler terms.
"So we just need to go inside, find Harry, and bring him back out?" Ron summarised simply.
"Correct. As long as you can make Harry Potter willingly choose to leave, the Black Mirror Kingdom won't interfere with his departure."
"Then what are we waiting for? Hogwarts—I'll definitely find Harry first!" Ron excitedly charged forward recklessly, accidentally stepping heavily on Hermione's foot while passing her.
Hermione cried out in sharp pain, then angrily chased after him with murderous intent.
Before entering the shimmering portal himself, Sterling looked back meaningfully at the white-robed person's motionless direction. Ursula made an encouraging gesture with both hands.
Making Harry willingly leave this place—
That was undoubtedly the greatest difficulty they'd face.
Sterling sighed deeply, shoulders sagging. He already knew with grim certainty what exact situation Harry was currently experiencing inside.