Stepping out of the Leaky Cauldron, the warm sunshine sprinkled over her body, giving Kate the feeling of returning to the human world from hell.
Quirrell, that young man in the purple turban who had just been raising a glass with Mr. Granger, was the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts for the coming year.
No one knew that beneath the back of his head, wrapped in that pungent-smelling turban, resided the returned Voldemort.
Just exchanging a single glance with Quirrell—who was acting as a puppet—gave Kate the illusion of falling into an ice cellar.
Although in the original work, he started as a stuttering, cowardly, and harmless-looking young man who only became a puppet possessed by Voldemort at the end of the first year, Kate had checked his information beforehand. To be chosen by the lingering Voldemort, this person's own strength must be no small matter.
Otherwise, Hogwarts wouldn't have hired such a young man as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.
The reason he was so easily solved by Harry Potter later was only because, after being possessed by Voldemort, he was affected by the protection spell on Harry. But that was a treatment only the protagonist could enjoy.
She didn't have a protection spell against Voldemort, so she had to keep an eye on Quirrell's movements at all times.
Kate was certain she hadn't attracted the attention of Quirrell or the Voldemort behind him just now. However, after such a hurried encounter, the next time they met at Hogwarts, it might not be the same.
Not far away, Mrs. Granger had just helped her husband into the car. She turned back and smiled at her. "Kate, get in the car quickly. It's time to go home."
Home... indeed, she should go home.
Kate stepped forward two paces and bowed slightly to Mrs. Granger. "Auntie, you go ahead. The butler will come to pick me up."
Hermione, who had intended to wait for her to get in the car, immediately ran down upon hearing this. "Kate, aren't you coming home with me?"
Kate turned her head. "Hermione, my home is in the magical world. I haven't been back for a long time, and now it's time to go and see it."
"But..."
Hermione wanted to say something more, but was interrupted by Mrs. Granger. "In that case, we won't see you off. Be safe on your own."
Saying this, she pulled Hermione into the car with her.
Kate stood in place, watching them drive away. She looked back at the Leaky Cauldron behind her, her gaze darkening slightly.
Turning into a secluded alley, she took out a cloth-wrapped iron block emitting a faint blue light from her purse.
This was the Portkey the teacher had given her when she left the Scamander home.
Kate took a deep breath and placed one hand on it. In an instant, she felt her feet leave the ground, and she flew forward rapidly like a gust of wind.
By the time she could plant her feet on solid ground again, her location had changed from a dilapidated alley in London to a cool, long avenue covered in green shade.
Kate was looking around when an excited voice abruptly popped up beside her: "Excuse me, is it the Little Master?"
She turned her head, only to discover a ragged house-elf had appeared silently by her side.
"I am Kate Shafiq," she stated her full name.
Immediately following that, she saw the elf before her jump up in excitement. "Wonderful! It's the Little Master! The master of Shafiq Manor has finally returned!"
Although she already had some understanding of the magical creature known as the house-elf, when she actually heard that shrill and noisy voice ringing out incessantly, Kate still felt her eardrums couldn't quite handle it.
"Alright, stop! Stop your screaming!" she immediately ordered.
The elf before her quieted down as expected, its ears drooping, though its large eyes continued to stare at her unblinkingly.
Kate breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and asked gently, "First, tell me, what is your name?"
"Jingjing! Little Master, I am Jingjing!"
"Is Grandpa Rand in the manor right now?"
As soon as this was mentioned, Jingjing got energized. "Little Master, ever since Butler Jones came back last year, he summoned many Muggles to come over and turned the whole manor upside down!"
Kate frowned in confusion. While following Jingjing toward the manor, she asked, "What did he summon Muggles for?"
Jingjing tugged hard at its large ears. "It seems to be... to lay circuits, and they also installed many Muggle gadgets in the manor!"
So that was it.
The old butler was afraid she wouldn't be used to it after returning to the manor, so he found people to install electrical appliances. Wiring such a large manor was likely no easy task. Kate didn't expect much from the result, but she appreciated the old butler's sentiment.
It was hard on the old man, having to worry about these things for her at his age.
Kate sighed and whispered instructions to Jingjing, "Grandpa Rand did it for my own good. You are not allowed to speak ill of him anymore."
"Yes, Little Master!" Jingjing agreed shrilly.
Unlike the more extreme elves in the original work, the Jingjing before her hadn't shown any phenomenon of self-harm while admitting mistakes so far.
Kate didn't want to see that kind of scene, so she didn't speak further. She followed Jingjing all the way through the long avenue, and from a distance, she saw the manor at the end of the road.
Different from the gloomy and dull manor in her imagination, the entrance to Shafiq Manor before her was a vast expanse of lush grass. Beside the manor, there was also a moderately sized, clear lake.
The bluestone-paved avenue beneath their feet led straight to a cream-colored castle wrapped in greenery, filled with a British atmosphere.
It was actually at the level of a castle...
Even though Kate was mentally prepared, looking at the exaggerated architecture before her, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty at heart.
She was now the owner of this castle, the sole owner.
In front of the castle's archway, an old man with silver hair combed meticulously, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, was standing there.
"Grandpa Rand!"
After seeing the other party clearly, Kate couldn't help but step forward quickly in excitement.
"Little Master, welcome home." Rand bowed solemnly to her, and the two house-elves behind him knelt down as well.
Kate accepted the bow with some unease and hurriedly helped him up. "Grandpa Rand, you don't have to be so polite with me. Let's go in quickly."
Rand nodded, leading her and a total of three house-elves into the castle. "This is Shafiq Manor, and the place where the Little Master's ancestors lived for generations."
How on earth do you people call such a castle a manor...
Kate roasted him in her heart, but her eyes were overwhelmed, taking in all the scenery inside the castle.
[System Notification:]
[Congratulations Host on obtaining the title "Lord of the Manor"]
[As long as this title is equipped, the Host's Charisma can be +10]
Hey, hey, does your System also believe in the theory that wealth equals charisma?
________________________________________
🌸 Help Love Bloom!
Our girls need a little push... and you can help!
💖 Gift for Everyone: Once we hit 100 Powerstones, I'll release +1 bonus chapter to warm your hearts.
🚀 Community Reward: If we reach 20 supporting members, we'll have a +5 chapter marathon across all stories! The romance won't stop.
👻 Come to our secret corner: Search for GirlsLove on (P). You know that's where the magic happens... 😉