From Now On, This Is Your Home

With Mr. Crouch's position at the Ministry of Magic, the adoption procedures were completed quickly.

When they Apparated before the Crouch family home, Lucretia was still a little dizzy, and her small face turned even paler.

This was the second time she had experienced this kind of magical travel. The last time, that female Auror had taken her to St. Mungo's the same way.

Madam Crouch supported her by the shoulders. "Take it slow. Breathe deeply. The first few times are always a little uncomfortable."

Lucretia looked up at the manor before her.

The evening sun gilded the stately building in gold, but the heavy curtains blocked most of the light, making the entire house seem somewhat gloomy.

Mr. Crouch followed her gaze to the second floor. "Barty should be in the study at this hour. I'll go call him down. Oh, right..."

He pulled two beautifully wrapped boxes from inside his robes.

"Gifts for you to meet each other."

Madam Crouch accepted the boxes, a pleased smile appearing on her face.

She knew her husband had specifically gone to Diagon Alley to buy the copy of Advanced Dark Arts Defense Theory their son had always wanted, as well as a collection of fairy tales for Lucretia.

After saying that, Mr. Crouch strode upstairs. "I'll go check on him first."

Standing in the entrance hall, Lucretia noticed the old family portraits hanging on the walls.

The people in those paintings studied her curiously, whispering among themselves.

Without realizing it, she edged a little closer to Madam Crouch.

Then, a muffled argument broke out upstairs. Though she could not make out the words, the tones were clearly unpleasant.

Madam Crouch looked anxiously toward the stairs and tightened her grip on Lucretia's hand.

At last, footsteps sounded.

A tall teenage boy followed Mr. Crouch down the staircase.

Lucretia looked up and met a pair of cold gray eyes.

Little Barty stood halfway down the stairs, his fingers resting on the carved banister as he looked down at her with a scrutinizing gaze.

He wore neat dark casual clothes, his hair slightly messy, and an intentionally polite smile on his face.

But in the instant he lowered his head, Lucretia clearly saw a flash of barely concealed disgust in those pale gray eyes.

Mr. Crouch looked at his son, his voice carrying a hint of sternness. "This is Lucretia. From today onward, she is a member of our family. I expect you to show the courtesy befitting the Crouch family."

Lucretia said softly, "Hello."

Little Barty nodded, his voice so flat it was nearly cold. "Welcome."

Madam Crouch hurried to ease the tension. "Come and look at your gifts. Barty, this is the book you've always wanted."

Little Barty took the box, and his eyes lit up as he unwrapped it.

But when he saw that Lucretia had also received a set of hardcover books, the excitement on his face vanished instantly, and the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

His voice held a trace of restrained sarcasm. "Thank you, Father. It seems you finally remembered that I wanted this book. How... timely."

Mr. Crouch's expression immediately turned stern. "Barty!"

Little Barty apologized at once, though his gaze remained cold. "I'm sorry, Father. I spoke out of turn. I like your gift very much. I still have homework to do, so I'll return to my room first."

He turned and went upstairs quickly, almost as though he were fleeing.

Holding her new books, Lucretia could feel the tense atmosphere filling the air.

Madam Crouch spoke softly, though her tone was full of worry. "He just needs time to adjust. Come, I'll show you your room."

Lucretia followed Madam Crouch upstairs. As they passed Little Barty's tightly shut door, she heard the heavy sound of pages being flipped inside.

She lowered her eyes. It seemed getting along with this suddenly acquired "brother" would not be easy.

Fortunately, she had long learned how to survive amid hostility.

Only this time, she hoped to dissolve that hostility with kindness, repaying Madam Crouch for her gentleness.

Madam Crouch led Lucretia to a room at the end of the second floor.

It was a south-facing bedroom, with a small balcony before the floor-to-ceiling windows.

All the furniture in the room was brand-new: a light wooden desk and wardrobe, and pale purple bedding spread across the bed.

Several pots of daisies in full bloom sat on the windowsill, clearly prepared with great care by Madam Crouch.

"This is your room," Madam Crouch said. "I wasn't quite sure which colors you liked, so I chose something more understated. If there's anything you want to change, just tell me."

Lucretia stood in the middle of the room, still finding it hard to believe all of this had been prepared for her.

At the Orphanage, many of them had slept together, each person allotted only a narrow iron bed and a battered cabinet.

"I really like pale purple."

"That's good, then."

Madam Crouch stroked Lucretia's long hair and called out, "Winky!"

With a soft pop, a tiny figure suddenly appeared in the room.

Lucretia looked in surprise at the creature that only came up to her waist.

She had enormous bat-like ears, eyes the size of tennis balls, and wore a neat tea towel.

Madam Crouch introduced her. "This is Winky, our family's House-elf. She'll help tidy your room and make some desserts. If you need anything, you can call for her too. As long as you can think of it, she can do almost anything for you."

"Hello, Miss. Winky is honored to serve you."

The House-elf spoke in a shrill voice and bowed deeply.

Lucretia watched the magical little creature, her expression full of curiosity.

She could feel the magic contained within Winky, an innate energy that was exceedingly warm.

Without thinking, she crouched halfway down so that her gaze was level with Winky's.

"Hello, Winky." She held out her hand. "My name is Lucretia. It's nice to meet you."

Winky stared in shock at the hand extended before her, her large eyes filled with confusion and unease.

Never had a wizard treated a House-elf like this, looking her in the eye as an equal and even wanting to shake hands with her!

Winky's voice trembled as she backed away several steps, nearly pressing herself against the bedside table. "M-Miss? Winky can't... This can't... Winky is only a House-elf..."

Madam Crouch was stunned as well.

She had never seen anyone try to shake hands with a House-elf.

But as she looked at Lucretia's sincere eyes, she suddenly understood that perhaps this child simply did not know the wizarding world's notions of hierarchy.

Lucretia seemed to sense Winky's unease. She withdrew her hand but remained half-crouched. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it through. I only wanted to be friends with you. You look very kind."

Winky's large eyes immediately filled with tears. "Miss is too kind... Winky doesn't deserve it... Winky has never met such a good young mistress..."

Lucretia spoke softly, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket. "Don't cry. Here, this is for you."

That made Winky panic completely. She began tugging hard at her own ears. "No, no... Winky can't accept something from Miss... It's the rules..."

Seeing Lucretia's slightly uneasy gaze, Madam Crouch said gently, "Winky, don't do this. Lucretia has just arrived and doesn't yet understand our customs. But... I don't think there's anything wrong with this kind of kindness."

Winky stopped tormenting her ears, but she still stood there at a loss.

Lucretia felt that she might have done something wrong and hurriedly straightened up, though a friendly smile remained on her face.

She said to Winky, "I didn't mean to make things difficult for you. We can get to know each other slowly."

Grateful tears shimmered in Winky's large eyes. "Miss is truly too kind... Winky will take good care of Miss."

With that, the House-elf covered her face and vanished with a pop.

Madam Crouch watched it all, warmth rising in her heart.

This girl had a special natural affinity. Even Winky, who had always been so reserved, had been moved by her.

"You really are a special child," she said softly. "But remember in the future, House-elves... they have their own rules and habits. We can learn about those gradually."

Lucretia nodded. "I understand. I just think she looks adorable, like a little angel."