"Excuse me… Squirrel? Do you have a name?"
Cassandra stepped forward, regarding the red squirrel perched on Hermione Granger's shoulder with open curiosity.
"Oh, of course!"
The squirrel puffed out its chest proudly. "My name is Skool! What do you think? A splendid name, wouldn't you agree?"
"Uh… yes! Splendid indeed!"
Cassandra did not deflate the creature's enthusiasm, though her tone was somewhat perfunctory. She was preoccupied with other matters. "Where exactly are we? And are there any other talking… creatures here besides you?"
Of course, she knew where she was—Sky Island, where the giants' castle loomed. But this was reality, not a storybook. There were bound to be differences.
Based on past experience, this place could be drastically different from the original fairy tale. Giants might be giantesses. The goose that laid golden eggs might be a badger that excreted gold nuggets…
"Of course, all the animals here can talk!"
Skool paused, as if struck by sudden realization. "Oh! And there are some things that aren't animals that can talk, too."
???
"Things that aren't animals that can talk?" Harry Potter, trailing behind, looked utterly bewildered. He couldn't even begin to imagine such a thing. After all, humans were animals, biologically speaking—higher animals in the class Mammalia of the subphylum Vertebrata.
Draco Malfoy, however, was focused on other concerns. He had only one question. "Talking animals? Are there… cats?"
As he spoke, Malfoy nervously surveyed their surroundings, his voice trembling slightly as if expecting another "talking female cat" to leap from the bushes.
"You're a strange one."
Skool turned its attention to Malfoy. "Of course, there are cats! What's the problem with that?"
"…"
What's the problem?
Only everything!
Catgirls are the bane of existence!
Malfoy wanted to articulate this sentiment, but he stopped himself. It was obvious this little squirrel knew these "talking cats," and their relationship seemed rather chummy.
"Could you take us to them?"
Nagini, lagging a few steps behind, approached Hermione's side, placing herself closest to Skool. "We just arrived and are looking for a place to rest."
"Is that so?"
Skool lowered its head, lost in thought, and for a moment Nagini thought it would refuse.
"No problem! They haven't seen creatures from other places in ages; they'll be thrilled! It's just…"
Skool glanced up at the sky, a troubled expression on its face. "I reckon that big, annoying fellow will come to steal our things before long. If he sees you lot, he'll steal your things too!"
"…"
Oh? This tiny thing is rather kind.
If Skool possessed a system, it would undoubtedly receive a notification at this moment: [Ding! Congratulations, host, you have gained +1 favorability from the Dark Lord.]
"That will not be a problem. Lead on."
Tom Riddle paid little attention to the "big, annoying fellow" Skool mentioned. It was undoubtedly a giant, a creature that even his Avada Kedavra might not fell in a single strike. Not worthy of his time.
"Oh, really? Well then, if he does appear, you all best hide yourselves well."
Skool, realizing it couldn't dissuade Tom, extended a paw to point the way.
…
This was a fairytale town.
The town was enclosed by pink and white walls, and the river flowing through it was a startlingly deep blue—a dreamlike vista.
A snow-white arched bridge spanned the river, offering passage into the town.
The buildings within varied wildly in height and size. Some resembled trees, others teapots, and, of course, there were many classic little cottages.
The proportions were utterly inconsistent. Some dwellings were so small, they seemed fit only for mice, while others were so large, they could house a brown bear.
Clearly, many of the residents were not "human."
And indeed, that was the case.
Perched atop the tallest tower in town stood a rooster, its head held high, perhaps reminding the residents of the time.
At this hour, an owl, its work concluded, returned to its treehouse to sleep.
A brown bear emerged from a large truck, carrying a hefty load of goods and delivering them door-to-door.
A window in a wooden house stood open, and within, a fox wearing a monocle called out, apparently hawking wares.
"Harry Potter, am I going mad?"
Tom Riddle and his group, led by Skool, arrived at this fantastical town. Malfoy nervously smoothed his blond hair with both hands. "These blokes… they can't be serious, can they?"
"Look over there! Three female cats having afternoon tea?!"
Malfoy cried out. "Oh, Merlin! Those are female cats! Female cats!"
"…"
Harry Potter sighed, speechless. "Malfoy, you're overreacting! And how do you know they're female? They're not…"
"Does your male cat wear a skirt? And high heels?!"
"…"
Harry Potter wanted to point out that in this day and age, "wearing a skirt and high heels" was not a reliable indicator of gender.
Judging from Malfoy's expression, however, he wouldn't listen. He was already convinced they were all "evil she-cats!"
"I'll take you to see Lady Flower Fairy first. She's the most influential person in our town, and she's the one who used to protect us from that big, annoying fellow…"
Skool, perched on Hermione Granger's shoulder, called out to Tom Riddle.
Before Tom Riddle could respond, however, a soft, clear voice rang out from mid-air. "No need, Skool. I am already here!"
As the words fell, shimmering dust scattered in the air, and an elf, no more than twenty centimeters tall, appeared out of thin air.
She wore a long pink dress, had two pairs of delicate, gossamer wings on her back, and possessed a small, alluring face. Ignoring her size, her figure was undeniably top-notch.
"Oh! I truly didn't expect this… Oh, forgive me, I forgot to introduce myself…"
The Flower Fairy looked down at Tom Riddle and the others, barely concealing her excitement.
Including the giants in the castle, she was, after all, the only one who possessed magic.
The sudden arrival of several wizards was naturally quite startling.
The Flower Fairy warmly invited Tom Riddle and his companions to the most luxurious house in "Fairytale Town."
Along the way, she chatted with everyone. This diminutive creature possessed remarkable conversational skills. Within minutes, she had grown quite friendly with everyone.
During this time, not only did Tom Riddle and his friends become acquainted with this "magical little elf," but the Flower Fairy also learned about Tom Riddle and his friends' circumstances.
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