Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Mr. Ellison frowned deeply, his fingers tapping a steady rhythm against the table.

An opened letter lay before him.

After receiving Suli’s call earlier, he had made a special trip to Mr. Granger’s clinic to hear the entire story. Even so, he remained doubtful.

This was magic, after all–something that belonged in stories. Without witnessing it with his own eyes, how could any normal person tear down and rebuild the worldview he had spent decades forming?

“Suer, the person you mentioned will be coming tonight?” he asked.

“I don’t know.”

Suer sat obediently across from Mr. Ellison with Angel in his arms and shook his head. Even with two lifetimes combined, this was his first time experiencing anything like this.

Mr. Ellison’s frown deepened.

Left to his own wishes, he would never have believed such an absurd tale. He had planned Suer’s future long ago: the boy would graduate from Eton, study abroad, then return to inherit his business and look after Angel when Mr. Ellison himself was gone.

An inexplicable acceptance letter from a school of magic had thrown every one of those plans into disarray.

Yet what Mr. Granger had experienced was undeniably real.

Knock, knock.

At the sound, Angel sprang from Suer’s arms as though someone had flipped a switch.

Had someone from Hogwarts arrived?

Mr. Ellison and Suer both turned toward the door.

“Big Sis Granger!” Angel called happily.

It was Hermione. What was she doing here?

When Hermione Granger entered holding Angel’s little hand, the solemn atmosphere in the living room made her falter.

“Why are you here?” Suer asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Good evening, Mr. Ellison.” Hermione politely greeted him first, then answered Suer. “I wanted to learn more about Hogwarts, so I came over. Hee-hee.”

“Hermione, last night–” Mr. Ellison began, only for another knock to sound at the door.

Once again, Angel eagerly volunteered for door duty.

“Old mister, who are you looking for?” her sweet voice asked from the entrance.

Suer’s heart tightened.

They were here.

The visitor did not seem in any hurry to come inside. Instead, he lingered by the door, chatting merrily with Angel. Sitting in the living room, Suer grew increasingly restless.

“Professor Dumbledore,” a rather stern female voice gently reminded him.

*Two of them? Dumbledore, and who else?*

Suer sat quietly, his thoughts beginning to drift.

Hermione answered his question. She straightened at once and stood with impeccable posture.

“Good evening, Professor McGonagall.”

A vigorous old man with a white beard walked in wearing a genial smile and holding Angel’s hand. Behind him came a witch in dark green robes and a tall pointed hat.

Professor McGonagall appeared somewhat surprised to find Hermione there, but she returned the greeting with a smile.

“Good evening, Miss Granger.”

“Dad, Bwother, the old mister is here to see you.”

Angel released Dumbledore’s hand and skipped back into Suer’s arms.

Dumbledore gave Suer a gentle look before turning to Mr. Ellison.

“Good evening, Mr. Ellison,” he said softly.

“Good evening.” Mr. Ellison rose to greet him.

Dumbledore was clearly a gifted conversationalist. Before long, he and Mr. Ellison were talking and laughing with ease.

“Bwother, have some candy.”

Without warning, Angel stuffed a small white sweet into Suer’s mouth.

Mm. Lemon.

“It’s good, right? The old mister gave it to me.” Angel grinned and handed one to Hermione as well.

Only then did Suer notice the little bag that had somehow appeared in Angel’s hands. The sweet had come from inside it.

Mrs. Ellison emerged from the kitchen carrying biscuits and served everyone a cup of tea–everyone except Angel, who was only allowed milk.

The little girl did not like milk, but she had a solution. When no one was looking, she dropped one of the white sweets into her cup.

As long as it was sweet, even milk was acceptable.

She took a delighted sip.

The conversation soon turned to where Suer would attend school. In a remarkably short time, the knowledgeable old gentleman had already won Mr. Ellison’s respect. Even so, Mr. Ellison considered his words before asking carefully,

“Mr. Dumbledore, what exactly is this Hogwarts mentioned in the letter?”

Dumbledore picked up a biscuit and chewed it, closing his eyes in appreciation before answering.

“Hogwarts is a school with a thousand years of history. It teaches magic to young witches and wizards.”

He glanced at Professor McGonagall and saw that she had begun speaking with Hermione at some point. A faint smile touched his lips.

It seemed the task of demonstrating magic to the Muggles would fall to him.

What a long time it had been since he had done this.

Watching from the side, Suer felt his heart stir when he saw the knobbly wand in Dumbledore’s hand.

That was the Elder Wand, one of the three Deathly Hallows.

Mr. and Mrs. Ellison stared speechlessly as the cup in their hands sprouted two legs and hopped over to the teapot. The teapot floated into the air and poured more tea into it.

“Wow! The teacup is alive!” Angel cried.

Dumbledore smiled and pointed his wand at the wooden chair beside her. The chair transformed into a silver-white pony with a golden horn in the centre of its brow.

“A unicorn!”

Angel’s eyes shone. Without the slightest fear, she scrambled onto its back.

The unicorn began to run, circling the living room again and again while Angel’s excited laughter filled the air.

Having finished his demonstration, Dumbledore lifted his cup and took a quiet sip of tea.

“Th-this…” Mr. Ellison stammered.

He had thought himself prepared, yet the sight still shook his entire understanding of the world and left him gaping. Mrs. Ellison was equally stunned, though she was also terribly envious that her daughter got to ride a unicorn.

A living unicorn! A real one!

What European girl had never dreamed of riding one?

“In truth, that is only one kind of magic,” Dumbledore said softly.

Then he looked at Suer.

“My boy, now that you have seen it for yourself, would you like to come to Hogwarts?”

“Of course, sir,” Suer replied.

“Then it is time I gave you this.”

Dumbledore touched his ring. A key appeared in his palm.

“It belonged to your parents. It is part of what they left behind.”

“My parents?”

Suer glanced at Mr. and Mrs. Ellison.

“Yes.” Dumbledore nodded, grief flickering through his eyes. “I am sorry to say that when we found them, they had already… Afterward, we searched for you for a very long time.”

“But it seems you have lived a happy life.”

“I have, sir.”

Suer looked at the laughing child and at Mr. and Mrs. Ellison, who were watching him intently. His fingers closed around the key, tightening.

Dumbledore smiled with relief, then turned to watch Angel’s delight.

He fell silent for a moment and released an almost imperceptible sigh. With a wave of his wand, he undid only the enchantments on the teapot and cups. Then he winked at Suer.

“That unicorn will remain with her for the night. Do make sure it does not run outside, or I shall find myself in a great deal of trouble.”

“Minerva, we should be going.”

Professor McGonagall stepped forward at last. She studied Suer carefully for a long moment, then rested a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Remember your surname. It carries both valor and honor.”

“You look very much like your parents.”

“If you need anything at school, you may come to me.”

“Welcome to Hogwarts.”