A few days later.
After Harry finally finished about three days of training with the Magic Training Hat, the day came for Hermione to visit and see Ardeura.
For the record, Harry still hadn't managed to defeat the four Tom Riddles by then.
"How am I supposed to kill them when they don't die even when I use the Killing Curse?" Harry grumbled, though he was showing excellent progress, having managed to take down one or two of them at a time.
If it had been the original Tom Riddle, he would have been unscathed no matter how much magic was thrown at him as long as the diary, the Horcrux's true form, was safe. But this was a fake created from Harry's memories; it didn't have that level of power.
Nevertheless, facing four of them, not just one, was clearly a great ordeal for the current Harry.
In any case, after enduring the ordeal for several days, Harry had earned his well-deserved escape.
Unable to suppress his smile, Harry said with a grin, "Master, I'll see you at Hogwarts, then!"
"Alright."
The sight of Harry leaving the hotel with a beaming smile was, in a word, magical.
With Silly, transformed into a boa constrictor, wrapped around his neck, and Hedwig, in the form of a white owl, perched on his shoulder, what else could he be but a wizard? One thing was for sure: he wasn't a Muggle.
"Harry, you'd look perfect if you wore a white conical hat. What do you think?"
"Ha, haha. No scary jokes, please, Master."
It wasn't a joke. I knew it, and Harry knew it, but neither of us said it out loud. His face looked like he was about to cry.
"Well, have a good trip. See you at Hogwarts. Albus will take care of preparing the Kraken."
"Yes!"
*Hmm. I wonder if this is what it feels like to send your child off on a trip.* Not that I felt like a parent sending their child to the water's edge. Harry's skills weren't at a level that warranted that kind of worry.
Perhaps the current Harry, having gone through the special training and the Training Hat, could have resolved the Chamber of Secrets incident on his own.
While I was pondering this, Deek brought breakfast.
"Master, it's been a while since it was just us like this!"
I chuckled. "Come to think of it, you're right. It's been a long time since it was just the three of us."
*—Pirururuk!*
Ardeura chirped in agreement.
If it hadn't been for Deek and Ardeura after I was suddenly dropped into the 20th century, it would have taken me a long time to adjust. It would have been quite difficult psychologically, too.
In that sense, though our species were different, Deek and Ardeura were undoubtedly my family.
Language barrier? With Legilimency, I can understand everything.
Come to think of it, I wondered for a moment just how much I should tell Hermione.
I had considered taking the opportunity of revealing Ardeura's identity to also reveal that Hedwig was actually a dragon, but I decided against it, thinking Hermione might faint.
She came because she wanted to see a phoenix, so just showing her the phoenix should be enough.
As I was mulling it over, Deek informed me, "Master. I believe your friend has arrived."
I peered into the crystal ball showing the view outside the hotel, and sure enough, I saw a familiar passenger car. It was the Granger family's car.
A moment later, as I waited, there was a knock at the hotel room door.
When I opened it, Hermione smiled brightly. "Aisen! It's been so long!"
"It has. It's good to see you. What's that in your hand?"
I now noticed that Hermione was holding something in her right hand.
She answered sheepishly, "Oh, this is a gift. I told my parents I was visiting a friend's house, and they insisted I bring it…"
Right, her parents were dentists. The gift bag contained a mascot doll that looked like a tooth, along with various items related to dental health.
Not just toothpaste and toothbrushes, but fluoride mouthwash and other things. Back in my day, the very concept of caring for dental health was almost nonexistent, so these products seemed incredibly novel.
I thanked Hermione. "Please thank your parents for me."
"Oh, no, it's nothing. Actually, if I'd known you were living in a hotel like this, I would have brought something else."
*These kinds of luxury hotels provide all that stuff.*
With that, Hermione began to look around the room.
I shrugged. "We're only ever away from Hogwarts for a month or two at most, so it's more convenient to stay in a hotel like this than to get a house."
"I suppose that makes sense… But then, where is the man who brought you here last time? Oh, and where's Harry?"
I answered the ever-curious Hermione. "First, the butler from that time is this one here."
"Hello, friend of my master."
Hermione finally looked at Deek and gasped. "Goodness! My word."
I introduced Deek. "The man you saw last time was this friend of mine, transformed by magic. His name is Deek."
Hermione looked at Deek, smiled, and asked, "Uh… hello? Should I call you Deek?"
I said playfully to Hermione, "Hermione, Deek may look small because he's a house-elf, but he's an adult who has lived for several centuries."
Of course, in most cases, wizards and house-elves don't concern themselves with such age differences. The house-elves themselves don't expect it.
But Hermione, who had lived her entire life in Muggle society, had no way of knowing this. There are house-elves at Hogwarts, but they aren't exactly out in the open, so many students can graduate without ever knowing they exist if they're not paying attention.
A shocked Hermione muttered, "Oh my goodness! Uh, Mr. Deek? I'm so sorry for speaking to you so rudely!"
Deek bowed his head low. "Friend of my master, please do not use honorifics with a house-elf."
"Uh, ah, yes, no, okay, huh?"
Hermione reacted as if she'd short-circuited, seemingly unable to process the concept of a house-elf.
I provided an additional explanation for her. "Hermione, house-elves are fairies who live in wizards' homes and help with chores. Most house-elves are a species that finds joy in serving wizards."
Hermione blinked and asked, "Without any kind of payment?"
"Without any kind of payment."
"H-how can that be? That's…"
"Deek is not a corrupted house-elf who works for compensation!"
Hermione looked confused, as if her own common sense had been contradicted.
I could guess what she was thinking. I had a premonition that talking more about house-elves would become tiresome, so I changed the subject.
"And Harry has gone to buy a birthday present with someone else. He said he's taking a short trip while he's at it, so it'll be hard to see him for a while."
Those words were enough to send Hermione's mind, which had been in serious moral turmoil over the treatment of house-elves, flying elsewhere.
Her face flushed in an instant, and she stammered, "Th-then, does that mean we're the only two here right now?"
I corrected her. "If you ignore Deek and Ardeura, I suppose so."
"Ah, haha. Right."
I didn't bother peeking into Hermione's mind as she placed a hand on her cheek and muttered, as if she'd gotten the wrong idea. Privacy is important, after all.
Then, Hermione suddenly looked up, her eyes sparkling. "Right, Ardeura! Show me Ardeura! Quickly!"
"Alright, I'll show you. Just wait a minute."
At Hermione's urging, I whistled for Ardeura.
*—Kirururuk!*
Ardeura flew in, showing off her beautiful feathers as usual.
…In her parrot form, of course.
At the sight, Hermione pouted, her lips pressed together. "A-i-sen. You know what I'm talking about!"
It seemed certain from the circumstances that I'd been found out, but shouldn't I at least try to play dumb one last time?
With that thought, I put on a brazen face and asked, "Hmm? I'm not sure what you're talking about. Ardeura is right here, isn't she?"
"Not the parrot, show me her phoenix form. Hmm? Please! I want to see it."
"I don't know what you mean… My Ardeura, a phoenix? What are you talking about?"
At my feigned innocence, Hermione finally took a deep breath and whispered in a small voice, "In the Chamber of Secrets, back then! I saw everything! Ardeura healing people with her phoenix tears!"
*Tsk.* So the Stunning Spell really didn't work properly back then.
I sighed. It wasn't just because Ardeura's identity had been discovered, but because this was confirmation that my magic was fluctuating more than I thought.
In the end, I raised both hands. "Alright, Hermione. You win."
I gave Ardeura a look, and she tossed her head with a huff, then spread her wings wide and cried out.
*—Pirurururuk!*
In an instant, Ardeura was engulfed in flames.
"Aah!"
Hermione screamed in surprise, but a moment later, she gasped in admiration at the splendid form of the phoenix revealed within the flames. "Oh my goodness! She's so beautiful!"
With a trembling hand, Hermione wanted to stroke Ardeura's feathers. Ardeura, with a haughty look, extended a wing, permitting it.
"Merlin's beard. Your feathers are truly beautiful, Ardeura."
Ardeura, pleased to be praised after so long, shot me a smug look.
Roughly translated, it meant:
'Master, I am this magnificent of a bird. You must treat me well.'
I nodded and replied with my eyes.
'That's why I sent them to catch a Kraken for you.'
I could feel a layer of affection added to Ardeura's gaze.
'As expected, Master is the best master.'
Perhaps cheered up by the thought of Kraken, Ardeura flapped her wings with an even haughtier expression and rubbed her face against Hermione.
I chuckled and watched Ardeura and Hermione play together, then headed toward the window when I saw an owl tapping on it.
"Hermione, I'm going to check the mail, so you play with Ardeura!"
"Okay!"
***
Meanwhile, at that very moment.
Harry, unable to contain his joy after receiving the Firebolt from Sirius, exclaimed, "Good heavens, a Firebolt! Sirius, this is really the best birthday present ever."
What's more, this Firebolt was a custom-made version, crafted just for Harry!
A sleek design, a smooth, polished finish, and a speed that surpassed all its other merits. It was truly the perfect birthday present.
*Sorry, Master, but I like this much better than the Nightmare Hat.*
Sirius flashed a noble smile befitting the Black family for the first time in a while. "Haha, Harry. I'll make sure every year's gift is the best birthday present."
As he laughed and shopped for broomstick accessories with Sirius, Harry could hear the staff around them whispering.
It made sense. The infamous scion of the famous Black family, Sirius Black, returned from Azkaban. And himself, Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.
It was a combination that would draw anyone's interest.
Both Sirius and he were masters at handling attention by now, so they could brush off such stares quite naturally.
Part of it was being used to the attention, but after facing Tom Riddle four-on-one for several days, it seemed his nerves had been thoroughly steeled.
…Speaking of Tom Riddle.
*Where did I leave that Nightmare Hat?*
Harry pondered for a moment, then pushed the thought away.
*'Well, Master will take care of it, so I don't need to worry about it right now!'*
***
Hermione, after playing with Ardeura for a long time, shifted her gaze elsewhere when Ardeura started to show signs of annoyance.
*How does Aisen usually live?*
As it happened, Aisen was in a room that looked like a study, presumably writing replies to his letters, and hadn't come out.
Her curiosity piqued, Hermione stood up and began to examine the objects around the room.
"Huh. This looks familiar."
She had found a white hat.
The very hat that looked remarkably similar to the Magic Sorting Hat.
***