The train soon arrived at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. After promising to write to each other during the holidays, the two got off and stepped onto the platform. After saying goodbye to Anduin, Vivian left with her family, who had come to meet her.
Just as Anduin was about to leave on his own, he spotted a familiar figure and couldn't help smiling. "Sirius? What are you doing here?"
"Haha, I was worried you'd arrive all alone and feel lonely. I happened to be passing by, so I thought I'd pick you up. Well, surprised?" Sirius wore a brown coat, and his shoulder-length hair had been tidied up a little. He still had that carefree, rebellious look about him.
"I think you're the one who's lonely. You probably came to get me because you had nothing better to do." Anduin seemed to see right through Sirius and teased him mercilessly.
"Here I am, trying to be nice, and you take it the wrong way. I was worried you didn't have a single friend to keep you company. You should thank me for looking out for you! By the way, who was that girl who got off the train with you? Don't tell me she's your girlfriend." Sirius ribbed Anduin with a grin, then asked with a cheeky smile.
"Did you never talk to girls when you were at school? Why are you so curious? If you're looking for a girlfriend, I could introduce you to someone. What do you think of Madam Pince from the Hogwarts Library? Your friends already have children, while you're still all alone. It's not right, you know." Anduin knew what Sirius was like, so he didn't hold back.
"Hahahaha! I'm destined to spend my life surrounded by flowers without ever touching a single petal. What would a little kid like you know?" Sirius liked Anduin's personality, too. He didn't treat him like a stranger, so he felt no need to watch what he said.
Trading jibes, the two left the station. Anduin followed Sirius to the parking lot, where they stopped beside a motorcycle with a sidecar.
"So, what do you think? Pretty cool, huh? This is my Little Treasure. I don't let just anyone ride it, so you're in luck today." As he spoke, Sirius tossed Anduin a helmet.
Anduin stared at the motorcycle, at a loss for words. He was supposed to ride in that thing in the middle of winter? Wasn't Sirius afraid the cold wind would freeze his brain? But Sirius had gone out of his way to pick him up, so Anduin climbed into the sidecar, looking less than thrilled.
"What's that look for? I came all this way on my Little Treasure to pick you up, and you're not even happy? This beauty can drive on the ground, fly, and turn invisible!" Sirius said indignantly when he saw Anduin's expression.
"Oh? It's a magical object?" Anduin hadn't expected that. Once he was seated, he began feeling around, eager to figure out how the thing worked.
"Hey, watch it! Don't go touching everything. If you break it, you couldn't afford to replace it. So, where do you live? I'll take you there." Anduin's little investigation got on Sirius's nerves.
"Diagon Alley. I've been staying at the Leaky Cauldron." Anduin reluctantly pulled his hands back and answered.
Sirius knew Anduin had stayed at the Leaky Cauldron the previous summer. He'd even visited him there twice. But he hadn't realized Anduin planned to stay there during the holidays, too. He couldn't help asking, "Are you sure? You're planning to spend Christmas at the Leaky Cauldron?"
"Yeah. I can't use magic in the Muggle World, and that'd be pretty inconvenient," Anduin replied.
Sirius looked at Anduin, only then realizing that he was an orphan. Spending Christmas alone in a pub seemed awfully pitiful, so he couldn't help asking, "In that case, why don't you stay with me? I live alone, too. What do you say?"
Anduin thought it over. He didn't particularly mind, as long as he could use magic. Besides, the dinner he'd been invited to was after Christmas, so he could go with Sirius. He nodded. "Sure, as long as I'm not a bother."
Sirius laughed heartily. "Haha, I don't mind a bit. Just don't complain about the mess. It's settled, then. Let's go!"
With that, Sirius started the motorcycle and sped off. As they passed down an empty street, Sirius raised both hands, and the motorcycle surged into the sky.
They rode above London, but everyone below seemed not to notice them at all. That must have been the invisibility Sirius mentioned. But it was still freezing cold. The biting wind blasted Anduin, making him feel once again that this contraption was completely impractical. How could Sirius stand it? Unable to take any more, Anduin conjured a transparent barrier in front of himself, finally blocking the bone-chilling wind.
Sirius carried Anduin down to a street in a Muggle community. After riding along for a while, they stopped in front of a small house. It even had a garage. Once he'd parked the motorcycle, Sirius led Anduin inside.
"Come on in. Welcome to my humble home. I left home at sixteen and started living by myself. I've spent quite a few years here." The house wasn't very big, with just two floors. Downstairs were a living room, a fireplace, a kitchen, and a bathroom. Upstairs were three bedrooms, and there was a small yard out back.
But as soon as Anduin stepped inside, a foul smell made him sneeze repeatedly. The house had all the necessary furnishings, but everything was a mess. The floor looked as though it hadn't been cleaned in ages, and the dining table was covered in greasy stains. When he went into the kitchen, Anduin found a pile of pots and dishes soaking in the sink. Some of the dishes had even started to grow mold.
Sirius, on the other hand, seemed perfectly at ease. He flopped down on the stained sofa and said, "There are two spare bedrooms upstairs. Pick whichever one you like. But when I'm busy, I might not have time to look after you, so you'll have to find something to eat yourself."
"Good grief, are you even a wizard? Do you never bother casting a Cleaning Charm on your own house? How can you stand living in a place like this?" Anduin stared at Sirius, speechless.
"What's the big deal? The important thing is that you're comfortable in your own home. Don't I look comfortable?" Sirius replied with an unconcerned smile.
Anduin couldn't stand such a filthy place. Still, it wasn't his house, so he carried his luggage upstairs first to see whether the bedrooms were just as messy.
Anduin stepped into one of the spare bedrooms. It was actually in decent shape, probably because no one usually stayed there. The only problem was that the floor and desk were covered in dust.
After looking around, Anduin set down his luggage and owl cage, then opened the window. With a wave of his hand, a gust of air swept through the room, gathered the dust from the floor, bed, and desk into a clump, and sent it out the window.
Before you continue