Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
The sharp cracks of Apparition rang out one after another in the open space outside Lynn's yard.
The sounds were not particularly loud, but they were exceptionally clear in the silence of the late night.
Lynn stood at the entrance to the yard, wand in hand, its tip glowing faintly.
Dodo stood beside him, carrying a large pile of bottles and jars—Potions for stopping bleeding, refreshing the mind, treating burns, and healing falls.
Every kind of Potion was available.
He looked like a small, mobile pharmacy.
How many times had it been tonight?
Lynn could not remember.
Regardless, his ears had not had a moment of peace for quite a while.
There was no need to explain what they were doing.
They were obviously practicing Apparition.
Recently, Death Eater activity throughout the Wizarding World had become increasingly frequent.
Quite a few wizarding families had already met with disaster.
Some families vanished overnight, with even their neighbors having no idea where they had gone.
Others were found the next morning tied up in their living rooms, their wands and valuables missing.
Everyone in the Wizarding World was on edge, afraid that they would become the next unlucky souls targeted by the Death Eaters.
Lynn had asked Lucius why he had not received any news, so that he could deal with them himself.
Lucius's answer had surprised him.
"The Death Eaters have been very quiet lately," Lucius said. "Those 'Death Eaters' are not real Death Eaters. They are most likely just wizards settling personal scores."
"Settling scores?" Lynn had asked, momentarily stunned.
"Yes." Lucius's voice came through the receiver. "The Dark Lord has not issued any attack orders recently. He is busy with other matters and has no time for such petty squabbles."
"Then those people claiming to be Death Eaters—"
"They are probably using the Dark Lord's name to settle their own private feuds," Lucius said. "This has happened before, though not often. The sudden increase lately is likely because rumors of the Dark Lord's resurrection have made people realize that the title of 'Death Eater' is useful."
Lynn had fallen silent.
Hmm...
Very reasonable.
But that did not stop Edgar and the others from feeling a sense of crisis.
If Lynn was not around one day and they encountered Death Eaters...
Running away would be their best option.
So the three of them decided that, since there was still plenty of time left during the holidays, they might as well learn Apparition.
As for the legal aspect, there was no need to worry.
With the shielding methods around Lynn's house, one would need magical ability at least equal to Dumbledore's to bypass them entirely.
Therefore, Edgar and the others could practice boldly and without concern.
No need to fear warning letters from the Ministry of Magic.
No need to fear being summoned to a hearing.
And certainly no need to fear expulsion.
Crack!
With another crack of Apparition, Edgar's figure vanished from Lynn's yard.
One second passed.
Two seconds passed.
Three seconds passed.
Edgar did not reappear.
Lynn lowered his wand and let out a long sigh.
"Lost again," he said.
Then he turned to look at Levi, who stood in the corner of the yard.
"Levi, go find him."
Levi released a clear, high-pitched cry.
Golden-red light flared around its body.
Then—
It vanished from the spot.
Lynn stood where he was, hands in his pockets, looking toward the direction where Edgar had disappeared.
"Where will he land this time?" he muttered.
Dodo stood nearby, expressionless.
"The pigsty," he said. "I bet a Sickle it's the pigsty again."
"I'm not betting," Lynn said. "I never bet."
"Because you lose every time you bet."
Lynn glanced at Dodo.
Dodo looked back at him.
The two stared at each other for a second before simultaneously looking away.
A golden-red light flared beyond the yard.
Levi had returned, carrying someone in its talons.
More accurately, it was clutching Edgar by the collar.
Edgar dangled in midair, his hands hanging limply at his sides.
His hair was even messier than before. His clothes were stained with something green and slimy, while several red marks covered his face.
Levi placed him on the ground, then flew back to the tree and tilted its head as it watched him.
"Where did he land this time?" Lynn asked.
Edgar did not answer.
"The pigsty," Levi's voice echoed in Lynn's mind. "The same pigsty. The same big pig."
"The pig did not run this time. It just crouched in the corner and watched him."
"When he landed, he fell face-first into the pig trough."
Lynn was silent for a moment.
"That green stuff on his face..."
"Pig slop."
Lynn was silent for another moment.
"And on his clothes?"
"Also pig slop."
Lynn took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
"Edgar," he said.
Edgar's body stiffened.
"You have pig slop on your face."
Edgar suddenly straightened up and reached for his face.
His fingers came away coated in green, slimy muck that smelled distinctly sour.
His face reddened at a visible speed.
"I... I'll go wash my face first," he said, then turned and ran.
His speed was astonishing.
In the blink of an eye, he rushed into the house.
The sound of a faucet turning on came from the kitchen, followed by splashing water and Edgar's loud "ptui, ptui, ptui" sounds.
Dodo stood in the yard, expressionlessly watching the direction in which Edgar had disappeared.
"One Sickle," he said.
Lynn pulled a Sickle from his pocket and tossed it to Dodo.
Dodo caught it and put it away.
"Next time, we bet two," Dodo said.
William and Ollie practiced a few times as well.
Their Apparition was as accurate as ever.
Their landing spots within every corner of the yard were flawless, but they always had to crouch for a while afterward to recover.
"Enough," Lynn said. "That's it for today."
The two nodded, stood from the ground, and used the wall for support as they slowly walked over to the stone bench and sat down.
Just then, Edgar came out of the house.
Water droplets still clung to his face, and his hair was soaking wet.
He had changed clothes. The old T-shirt stained with pig slop had been replaced with a clean, dark-blue long-sleeved shirt.
"I want to practice a few more times," he said.
Lynn glanced at him.
"Aren't you tired?"
"Tired," Edgar admitted. "But I want to master it before the holidays end."
Lynn was silent for a moment before nodding.
"Fine," he said. "One last time. Then we eat."
Edgar nodded vigorously, walked to the middle of the yard, and stood still.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let his hands hang at his sides.
A few seconds later, his body began to glow faintly.
Crack—
His figure vanished.
Lynn let out a long sigh.
"I knew this would happen."
Accompanied by a flash of golden-red light, Levi carried Lynn to the outskirts of a village.
Edgar bowed, apologized, and promised not to do it again in one smooth motion.
Lynn did not have much of a solution for this.
Some people's magical talent was simply what it was. They could only improve through repeated practice.
Edgar was actually doing much better now.
At least it was better than at the beginning, when he had been leaving bits of himself here and there.
But some things still needed to be said.
Just as Lynn was about to begin a passionate lecture, he vaguely heard someone calling his name.
Was it an illusion?
Then, the next second, the voice came again.
"Lynn..."
This time, he heard it very clearly.
Good grief.
In the middle of the night, in a remote village where he did not even know where he was, someone was calling his name.
The feeling could not even be described as eerie.
Even though Lynn was capable of killing without blinking, his scalp tingled at that moment.
He immediately drew his wand and pointed it toward the source of the voice.
Lightning danced around him, and Fiendfyre flickered faintly at the tip of his wand.
He was ready to strike at any moment.
Edgar stood behind him, still bent over and panting, not yet having recovered from his clumsy landing.
Sensing that something was wrong, he looked up and followed Lynn's gaze.
There was nothing in the darkness.
Golden-red light flared beside Edgar.
Levi landed on his shoulder, its wings spread slightly, ready to take him away at any moment.
"Oh, calm down."
A familiar voice came from the darkness.
It was gentle, composed, and carried a reassuring power.
Lynn's wand froze in place.
His shoulders relaxed, and he lowered his wand slightly.
"Headmaster," he said helplessly. "People can die of fright, you know."
The moment he finished speaking, Dumbledore stepped out from the shadows ahead.
He wore a deep-purple traveling cloak, and his silver-white beard shimmered faintly beneath the moonlight.
A swaying figure followed behind him.
"That was Harry calling out," Dumbledore explained, stepping aside to reveal the person behind him. "Because you were standing in the moonlight, Harry recognized you from quite a distance."
Harry stood behind Dumbledore.
His hair was as messy as a bird's nest. His glasses sat crookedly on the bridge of his nose, his pajamas were rumpled, and a pair of fluffy slippers covered his feet.
His eyes were half-closed, and he looked as though he had just been dragged out of bed.
"Lynn," Harry said, his voice hoarse and thick with sleep. "What are you doing here?"
Lynn did not answer.
Instead, his gaze shifted from Harry to Dumbledore.
"Headmaster, why are you here?"
One of Dumbledore's eyebrows quirked upward.
"I believe I should be the one asking you that," he said with a faint smile. "Why have you come to the village of Budleigh Babberton in the middle of the night, and with Mr. Bones, no less?"
Lynn was silent for a moment.
Budleigh Babberton.
It was the first time he had heard that name.
He did not even know where he was, let alone the name of the village.
"Well..." Lynn mused, his mind racing. "That's a bit of a long story. Let's call it a coincidence."
Dumbledore: "..."
"A coincidence," he repeated. "Hmm. Very reasonable."
Lynn knew Dumbledore did not believe him.
But he did not care.
"If there's nothing else, I'll be going," Lynn said. "Edgar must be getting anxious."
He turned around, preparing to call Levi and leave.
"Oh, no hurry," Dumbledore said from behind him. "Since we have run into each other, why don't we go together?"
Lynn's footsteps paused.
He turned to look at Dumbledore.
"I was actually thinking of inviting you along anyway," Dumbledore said with a smile. "This is perfect."
Looking at Dumbledore's smiling face, Lynn had a feeling that this would not be anything good.
"Where to?" he asked.
Dumbledore did not answer directly.
He turned and began walking toward the village.
"Follow me," he said. "You'll know when we get there."
Lynn stood still, watching Dumbledore's back.
Then he looked toward Edgar, who was still standing beneath the old oak tree behind him.
"Levi," he said. "Send Edgar back."
Golden-red light flared around Levi.
It flew from Edgar's shoulder, spread its wings, and enveloped Edgar in light.
"Wait—"
Before Edgar could say anything else, his figure vanished.
---
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