Shafiq Manor

Just as old Charlie had said, the car came to a stop after about fifteen minutes. However, due to the vehicle's frequent spatial jumps, Avada couldn't tell where they were or how far they were from London. If he were to judge by the speed of the Knight Bus, he was likely somewhere in the north-central part of England by now.

They were currently parked next to a small cottage in the middle of a vast grassland. Looking out through the car window, what met his eyes was a wide, flat expanse of emerald green that rolled in gentle waves in the distance before meeting the clear blue sky. A few thick, white clouds drifted scattered across the sky; they hung so low that every texture on them was clearly visible, as if he could touch them just by reaching out.

The cottage, with its white walls and gray roof, stood all alone in this beautiful meadow, with only a small path extending out to connect to a distant road. Next to it was a paved stone clearing where their car was currently parked.

Old Charlie got out first and opened the door, inviting Avada and Baron to step out. As the door opened, Avada felt a moist breeze brush against his face, carrying the pleasant scent of fresh grass.

"The environment here is truly wonderful," he exclaimed sincerely.

"Of course it is."

Baron said with a smile, "Beautiful, peaceful, and far from the crowds—to be honest, we've barely had to use the Muggle-Repelling Charm here. We can usually ride broomsticks, go camping, or walk the Crups freely across the grassland..."

"Young Master, let's go inside."

At this moment, old Charlie had already retrieved Avada's luggage from the trunk. Then, under Avada's curious gaze, his figure shifted: his hair vanished, his ears elongated, his eyes grew larger, and his skin gradually turned a grayish-brown, transforming him from a short old man into an even shorter, elderly house-elf.

Afterward, he gently smoothed the suit he was wearing; it instantly transformed into a piece of fabric resembling a bedsheet, which now wrapped snugly around him, looking surprisingly appropriate.

Next, carrying the luggage in one hand and taking out a key with the other, he opened the door to the cottage and walked inside.

Avada immediately sensed the marvelous spatial structure hidden within the house. Knowing that the residence of a pure-blood noble wouldn't be so simple, he followed Charlie and Baron inside without a word—the house was actually smaller than the Burrow he had seen in the movies.

Although the furnishings inside were spotlessly clean, they were a bit too sparse, hardly looking like a place where someone could live. Aside from a table and a few chairs, there was nothing else.

"I am Charlie."

The old elf stood in the center of the room, speaking to no one in particular. "I have returned with Young Master Baron and his guest."

Having said that, he walked straight to the other end of the room, where there was another closed back door. After tracing a few symbols on the door panel with his finger, he turned to Avada and smiled. "Welcome to the Shafiq Manor, Mr. Kedavra."

Then, he gently turned the handle and pushed the back door open. The scene revealed behind it left Avada dumbfounded:

Behind the cottage was still a vast grassland. On the stone-paved ground closest to the house sat a car—the very same one Avada had just ridden in. Beyond that, a wide stone path extended outward, leading directly into an incredibly grand and expansive manor the likes of which Avada had never seen in his past or present life.

Following the direction of the stone path, the first thing to catch his eye was a magical fountain. The mist formed by the water spraying into the sky didn't refract a rainbow, but instead shimmered with tiny specks of starlight. It was surrounded by exquisite stone statues and rows of neatly planted trees.

Behind the fountain stood a courtyard. While not massive compared to the entire manor, the level of exquisite decoration set it apart from the outside world—flowers, gazebos, open-air tables and chairs, and ponds filled with various exotic fish... The magnificent marble villa in the center of the courtyard was, naturally, the Shafiq family residence.

"Good heavens, this is really..."

Avada couldn't help but whisper in awe. Fortunately, he had already seen the castle of Hogwarts, so he managed not to lose his composure on the spot.

"Alright, let's go."

Baron observed Avada's reaction with great interest before pulling him toward the entrance of the grand mansion. He knocked on the door with a rhythmic thud-thud-thud and then stepped back two paces.

Click.

A soft sound came from behind the door, and then the two door panels slowly slid outward. Behind them was a corridor covered in a deep red carpet, with several oil paintings hanging on the walls. Baron led Avada through the corridor (the carpet seemed to have the effect of cleaning the soles of one's shoes, so there was no need to change footwear) and into a grand, imposing parlor. Two people were sitting there, seemingly chatting just a moment ago; upon hearing footsteps, they turned their heads and looked toward the two with smiles on their faces.

"Baron, you're back?"

The somewhat burly middle-aged man spoke first, then looked at Avada beside him, stood up, and walked over. "You must be Kedavra, hello, hello. Baron has mentioned you quite often these past few days."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Shafiq." Seeing Mr. Shafiq reach out, Avada extended his hand to shake it, then bowed slightly to the hostess beside him.

"I am Johnston Shafiq, and this is my wife, Joan," Mr. Shafiq introduced himself, then looked at Avada curiously. "If I may ask, what is your full name?"

"Every time Baron mentions you, he only calls you 'Kedavra'. When I asked for your full name, he wouldn't tell me, saying Headmaster Dumbledore told you to keep it a secret?"

"Ahem..."

Avada scrambled to organize his words, terrified that if he blurted out his name, the invisible house-elf nearby might suddenly leap out and knock him to the ground.

"...The incantation of the Killing Curse."

"What?"

"My name is the incantation of the Killing Curse; 'Kedavra' is just taken from the second word."

"..."

The Shafiqs looked at each other in confusion, then turned their questioning gazes toward Baron. After seeing Baron nod, they became even more bewildered.

"The incantation of the Killing Curse?" Mr. Shafiq asked tentatively. "You mean the Avada... one?"

"Yes."

"Your name is A... va... da, and your surname is Kedavra?"

"That's right."

"Who... who gave you this name?"

"It was the Department of Mysteries..."

And so, Avada had no choice but to recount the ridiculous actions of the Department of Mysteries once more. By the time he finished, Avada was holding his forehead, Baron was desperately trying to stifle his laughter, and the Shafiqs were staring at each other, speechless.

When they first heard that Avada's real name was kept secret at Dumbledore's request, they had assumed he might be the descendant of some foreign pure-blood noble, or the offspring of some sensitive high-profile figure, and that his "Muggle-born" status was merely a cover. Considering Dumbledore's position, they had even speculated whether this "Kedavra" might have the surname Grindelwald.

As it turned out, the truth seemed both more mundane and, in a way, even more stimulating than they had imagined...

"Oh, right, since you have that name... does that mean you'll be meeting Harry Potter as soon as school starts?"

Mr. Shafiq suddenly made a connection, and the way he looked at Avada grew increasingly strange.

Avada: ...

Are we really not going to let this joke die?!