Time flew by, and September slipped away in the blink of an eye.
The Cabin's Animal Paddock at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had changed beyond recognition. Rows of metallic-looking alchemical pillars stood around the valley of the paddock. The once-crowded grounds, full of Fantastic Beasts, had been cleared. In the setting sun, a gentle breeze stirred, and the place seemed unusually quiet.
A few Puffskeins chased one another toward the pillars. As if they sensed something, they hurried away in a panic. After running some distance, the little creatures poked their heads out and looked around in confusion. They shook their heads, then went back to playing.
Night fell. A commotion rose from the Great Hall at Hogwarts Castle, and when dinner ended, the sound of people talking and chatting began to draw closer.
The Puffskeins hurried into burrows behind the bushes and trees, scattering in an instant.
Ding, ding, ding~~
The wind chime hanging in Cabin's second-floor window suddenly rang out with a clear, bright sound.
On a flat patch of ground beside the alchemical pillars, the motionless dolls suddenly stirred. They moved their arms and legs awkwardly, then one by one, got to their feet.
"This is incredible!"
"Merlin's beard, how did they put us inside these dolls?"
"My God, this doesn't seem to be the Wizarding World. I can feel nature! This place doesn't feel like a set!"
The dolls' mouths opened and closed. Their stiff, colorful faces twisted into exaggerated expressions, making them look especially eerie.
Then the dolls tried walking in different directions, only to discover that they could go no farther than twenty meters beyond the area enclosed by the towering pillars. Any farther, and their bodies would move backward against their will.
"Look over here!"
Someone cried out, pointing with a