After the lavish dinner concluded, everyone returned to their respective common rooms.
As Kael was leaving the auditorium, someone suddenly called out to him.
"Looks like I arrived just in time."
Professor Dumbledore was standing at the entrance of the auditorium. Upon seeing Kael, he directly led him to a nearby passageway.
"Remember the letter you asked me to deliver a few days ago?"
He said, "I received Nicolas's reply at noon today. He asked me to send you over during the holiday."
"So, do you want to borrow Fawkes? If it's you, he probably won't refuse."
Kael vaguely sensed a sour scent, though he was unsure if it was a mere illusion.
He shook his head and asked:
"...Is there any other way?"
If possible, Kael preferred not to fly on a phoenix. Although it was the fastest method, it felt too wild... he couldn't quite accept it.
Professor Dumbledore pondered, "Of course, although it might be slower."
"That's fine," Kael quickly said, "I'm not in a rush."
"Alright then..."
After chatting for a few more minutes, Kael finally returned to the Hufflepuff Common Room.
With the holiday starting tomorrow, the students were all visibly excited, sitting around loudly discussing their plans for the next two weeks.
Kael did not participate in their discussion and instead headed straight back to his dormitory.
...
The next morning, Kael woke up as usual. The dormitory was already empty, so he packed his things and pushed open the dormitory door.
The common room was deserted, with only Conna sitting in a chair near the fireplace, busily working on her assignments.
Upon hearing the commotion, she casually looked up and said:
"Hello, Wendy... Wait, Kael?"
Surprised, Conna immediately jumped up from her chair and tried to pull Kael outside.
"Quick, hurry... hopefully, the train hasn't left yet," she anxiously said, "Honestly, why are you waking up now? I should have come to fetch you."
"Don't worry, it's okay."
Kael pulled her arm back and explained, "The train left ten minutes ago, and I have other arrangements, so there's no need to take the train."
"Other arrangements?" Conna asked with a puzzled look.
"Did you decide to stay at the school too?"
"No," Kael shook his head, "I'm just not taking the train. Remember how Professor Dumbledore talked to me yesterday? It was about this."
Upon hearing this, Conna finally breathed a sigh of relief, turning back to her previous spot.
"Are you the only one here? What about Cedric?" Kael asked.
"He went out," Conna said, "left early in the morning without mentioning his destination."
"Is it just you here then?"
"No, there's also Wendy, a fifth-year student."
Kael nodded, went to the kitchen to grab some food, and returned.
It wasn't until around ten o'clock in the morning that Cedric hadn't returned. A brown owl flew in through the window, dropping a note for Kael.
"I need to head out," Kael said after looking at its content and stood up.
"Enjoy your holiday, Merry Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas!"
Instead of heading to Hogsmeade Station, Kael took a turn at a fork in the road near the station, arriving at where the carriages were boarded at the start of the term.
This was a very secluded place, rarely visited by anyone. Today, however, was an exception.
"Kael, over here!"
Hagrid seemed to have been waiting here all along and waved his hand upon seeing Kael.
A carriage was parked beside him.
Unlike the ones used at the start of the term, this carriage was drawn by three Thestrals.
"The headmaster told me you might need this."
Hagrid patted one of the Thestrals' bony wings and cheerfully said, "Are you going home?
If you ask me, it's a great choice. Forget the Hogwarts Express, Thestral Carriages are the best means of transport.
But remember to take care of them once you're home. I've stocked their food in the carriage, enough for two weeks."
"Thank you, Hagrid," Kael stepped forward with a smile, "but it's not just about avoiding the train... and Professor Dumbledore wouldn't agree to that sort of request.
It's just that the place I'm headed is somewhat secluded, inaccessible by train or Knight Bus, so I had to opt for this more ancient method of travel."
"Ah, I see... that's understandable."
Hagrid did not pry about Kael's destination and only asked, "Have you traveled this way before?"
"No," Kael shook his head.
Uncertain if Newt's suitcase had Thestrals, it might... but he had never seen them, let alone journeyed by Thestral Carriage.
After all, it was only in the past two years that he could see such fantastic beasts.
Once Kael boarded the carriage, Hagrid handed him the reins.
"Relax, they're very smart, and the carriage is perfectly safe. All you need is to trust them."
When Kael held the reins, the middle Thestral glanced back at him and emitted a sharp cry, seemingly asking when they would depart.
"We can leave anytime," Kael said, "You know the location, right?"
The Thestral nodded, suddenly spreading its wings.
The fallen leaves on the ground were blown around as the carriage surged forward, then suddenly soared into the sky.
Kael leaned out from the carriage as Hagrid stood waving his arms below, and Kael waved back.
The carriage's swift speed rendered Hagrid's figure smaller and smaller until it disappeared entirely after rounding a bend.
The carriage danced amid the clouds, soaring across mountains, villages, and then bustling towns and cities...
No matter where they were, people below failed to notice any peculiarities.
Kael noticed several hidden magic text talismans inside the carriage lighting up slightly — if he wasn't mistaken, they probably indicated "concealment."
Two hours later, Kael could see the Hogwarts Express again.
From his current perspective, the train seemed like a mere toy as the Thestrals swiftly overtook it from tail to head, leaving it far behind.
No wonder Hagrid harbored disdain for the Hogwarts Express before — purely by speed, the Thestral Carriage was unmatched.
Even in terms of comfort, there's no comparison.
Despite such swift flying speed, Kael inside felt no bumping at all.
The sensation was akin to sitting in the castle's auditorium.
Once the train disappeared from view, Kael ceased observing outside.
Primarily because moving forward made the clouds increasingly dense.
Merely cracking the window slightly brought forth the cold and damp air in large swathes, striking his face unpleasantly.
...