The Declining Manor

The winter morning after the snowfall was deep and azure. Pushing open the window, a biting chill rushed in. As the saying goes, heavy snow leaves no trace; outside was a vast expanse of white, devoid of any footprints. Yet, this did not imply safety, for the heavy snow could just as easily bury wicked deeds.

Mrs. Harris had prepared breakfast as usual, but the rich aroma of oatmeal could not stir anyone's appetite. When Mr. Harris announced the arrangements for the family at the table, Mrs. Harris could no longer remain calm. "No, Owen, my magic is strong too. I can stay home and face everything with you."

"Dad, I think a healer can play a significant role when facing battle." Daisy did not want to stand by idly, hiding in a safe place while her kin faced unpredictable dangers; she could not bring herself to do it.

A quarrel, or perhaps a debate of love, was about to unfold. Allen ladled a bowl of oatmeal, took a plate of sandwiches, called Emily, and went upstairs to her room. He believed that children should not be directly exposed to their parents' disputes, as it would harm their young hearts.

"Allen, why are Mom and Dad arguing?" Emily asked, feeling somewhat sad.

"Emily, because of some things that must be done, we have to be apart for a while. Even though Mom and Dad are arguing, you must believe that it is all because of love," Allen patiently reasoned with his sister.

"Are we going to be separated?" Emily asked, feeling a bit afraid.

"I will be with you," Allen continued to soothe her. Hearing that things had quieted down downstairs, Allen grabbed their packed luggage and led Emily to the living room. They were to travel to Aunt Josephine's house via the Floo Network.

When Mr. Harris handed his two children over to Josephine, he appeared deeply reluctant. "We will proceed as planned. I hope everything goes smoothly. Allen, take care of your sister." Mr. Harris hugged his children and turned away resolutely.

Aunt Josephine was a sturdy witch with rosy cheeks and sharp blue eyes. She wore a deep purple dress, a black silk cloak trimmed with jet-black tassels, and a black hat adorned with purple velvet flowers that trembled whenever she turned her head.

"Oh my, what lovely children." Aunt Josephine scooped Emily up. Emily looked at her brother in confusion, but seeing Allen's encouraging smile, she shyly leaned against Josephine's shoulder.

"Have you two had breakfast?" After receiving an affirmative reply from the children, Aunt Josephine took them to settle their luggage.

This was likely an ancient and declining manor. Aunt Josephine led them away from the living room with its massive fireplace and into a corridor. It was a long hallway that branched off into several other passages; they followed one branch to a flight of stairs. These stairs were sectioned one after another. Both sides of the corridor were lined with doors, most of which were locked. The walls were hung with many paintings; some depicted eerie and strange landscapes, but most were portraits of men and women dressed in extravagant, bizarre costumes of silk and velvet. Allen walked slowly, gazing at the faces in the paintings, and those faces stared back at him. Allen finally noticed something unusual: unlike the portraits at Hogwarts, although these people could move freely, they were all silent, unnervingly quiet. Emily couldn't help but lean closer to her brother; such paintings were indeed a shock to a young girl.

They stopped in front of a door featuring a portrait of a little girl. The girl wore a red dress embroidered with gold and silver silk, with a dark green toad squatting on her hand. She was expressionless, but her gaze was sharp and curious.

"Miss Clark, these two children need to stay here for a few nights. I hope you will allow it." Aunt Josephine actually bowed to the girl in the painting.

The toad in the girl's hand hopped, leaving the frame, and a moment later, the girl herself stepped out of the painting. "It is permitted." Aunt Josephine gave a gentle push, and the massive door moved slowly and heavily. Once opened, a huge bedroom came into view, adorned with embroidered wall hangings and filled with finely textured wooden furniture. A wide window was inlaid with large, colorful stained-glass panes, looking out onto a vast, snow-covered wilderness. A large, soft bed covered in thick blankets was placed in front of an old mural; the content of the mural was difficult to discern, but at a glance, it felt eerie and unfathomable.

"Don't worry, although it looks a bit gloomy here, it is the safest place possible," Aunt Josephine explained, seemingly worried that the children might be afraid.

"Thank you, Aunt, please rest assured, we can take care of ourselves," Allen bowed in gratitude.

"Good, then you two rest for a while, and I will come to call you for lunch later. If you feel bored, the library is right next door. You can go take a look; I remember there are quite a few children's books that Miss Clark used to read." Aunt Josephine patted Emily's head once more and turned to leave.

As Allen opened the luggage and neatly hung their clothes in the oak wardrobe, he pondered how to slip away to find Albert. If only he were an adult; at least then he could move freely without the constraints of his age.

Allen found this opportunity soon enough. There was nothing in this room suitable for Emily to play with, so Allen took her to the library next door. The room looked as if it were rarely used, with all the books neatly arranged on the shelves. Aunt Josephine had likely used "Scourgify," as the room was spotless, without a speck of dust. Emily happily played in front of a low children's bookshelf, taking out all the books and stacking them high, clapping her hands with joy. The stack grew taller and taller, slowly tilting, until the shaky tower of books collapsed after Emily placed a thick fairy tale book on top, crashing toward her. Allen lunged forward to pull Emily away, but he accidentally knocked over the children's bookshelf. The shelf hit the tapestry behind it, causing the tapestry to cave in. Allen righted the shelf and lifted the tapestry, revealing a narrow staircase tunnel behind it. Allen was extremely curious, but with Emily by his side, he couldn't just leave her to go exploring.

The opportunity finally arrived! After a hearty lunch, Emily grew drowsy and fell asleep in the soft, warm bed. Allen asked Aunt Josephine to look after Emily, using the excuse that he wanted to focus on reading in the library, and went to explore the secret passage he had discovered earlier.