The Hogwarts Express billowed white steam as, amid its long whistle, it carried students brimming with the joy of returning home toward London. Yet for Tom Riddle and Ares Phoenix, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters at King's Cross Station was not an entrance to a warm home, but the starting point for their return to that gray cage—Wool's Orphanage.
On the return journey, Tom was even quieter than he had been on the way there. The summer sunlight outside the window was brilliant, yet it could not dispel the gloom gathered between his brows. He stroked his Yew Wand, his hollow gaze fixed on the passing scenery. The low pressure radiating from him made even Billius Black, who had intended to come over and chat, sheepishly retreat. The thought of spending two entire months back in that place of stupidity, filth, and indifference made him physically nauseous.
Ares sat opposite him and could clearly sense the resistance and violence churning within Tom. He did not want to return to the orphanage either. There were no secrets there, no magic—only endless scrutiny and deprivation.
[Host, host! (;′д｀)ゞ Target's emotional risk level detected as extremely high! Negative emotional correlation with the option "return to the orphanage" is 99%! An alternative is urgently needed!]
The system's voice rang in Ares's mind, carrying its familiar, somewhat exaggerated anxiety.
I know, Ares replied inwardly. But we have nowhere to go right now.
[Ding! (????) Host has completed the hidden milestone "successfully finish first year and consolidate the bond"! Distributing rewards...] [Congratulations! Obtained: deed to "Serene Residence" in Hogsmeade Village (including basic protective and concealment magic) x1! Golden Key (single-use, destination: Serene Residence) x2!] [Additional note: The property is located on the outskirts of Hogsmeade Village, with a tranquil environment convenient for secret gatherings and magical research. It is regularly cleaned by a House-elf. The host never has to return to that rundown orphanage again! ?(????)?]
Ares froze. A property in Hogsmeade Village? This reward had come at just the right time—too... conveniently. But he had no time to investigate why the system was being so "thoughtful." A tremendous sense of relief instantly flooded him.
Just as the train was about to reach London, when Tom's expression was growing uglier by the second and his fingers were nearly crushing his wand, Ares took the two antique-looking keys from the inner pocket of his robes—though they had actually come from the system space. They glimmered with a soft golden light, their handles carved with entwined ivy and stars.
He pushed one of them onto the little table in front of Tom.
Drawn by the golden light, Tom's gaze left the window and fell upon the key. He frowned, suspicion and caution in his eyes. "What is this?"
"An option that doesn't involve returning to the orphanage," Ares said calmly. A faint light gleamed in his mismatched eyes. "Hogsmeade Village. A place that belongs to us."
Tom's pupils contracted sharply. He suddenly looked up and stared fixedly at Ares, as if trying to determine whether he was joking. "Hogsmeade? How could we..." He immediately realized this could not possibly have been acquired through normal means, and lowered his voice even further. "Where did you get it?"
"That isn't important." Ares sidestepped the question. The system's existence was his greatest secret, one he could not share. "What matters is that it belongs to us now. A place where we can study magic in peace without worrying about Muggles disturbing us." He picked up his own key. "We can go directly there with this."
Tom picked up the weighty golden key and felt the stable, powerful fluctuations of spatial magic clinging to it. Ecstasy, doubt, shock, and an indescribable relief, like that of a drowning man grasping driftwood, tangled within him. He clenched the key tightly, his knuckles whitening as though afraid it might vanish.
"How do we use it?" His voice carried a barely perceptible tremor.
"Hold it and think, home," Ares instructed according to the system's directions.
When the train slowly pulled into King's Cross Station and the other students cheered as they surged toward the doors, Tom and Ares exchanged a glance and tacitly remained until the end. Avoiding the crowd, they slipped into an empty compartment.
Tom took a deep breath, gripped the Golden Key tightly, and closed his eyes. Ares did the same.
A dizzying pull seized them. It was gentler than Floo Powder, but just as disorienting. A few seconds later, the solid feeling of ground returned beneath their feet.
They appeared in a spacious, warm living room.
A real fire danced in the fireplace, giving off the scent of pine. The furniture was dark wood, simple yet comfortable, and thick carpets covered the floor. The bookshelves were already filled with all kinds of basic magical texts. The heavy dark green curtains at the windows had been drawn open, revealing the snow-covered rooftops of Hogsmeade Village and the hazy outline of Hogwarts Castle in the distance. Powerful protective magic enveloped the entire house, and the only sound in the silence was the crackling of firewood in the hearth.
There was no musty smell or noise from the orphanage here, no scrutinizing gaze from Mrs. Cole, no whispers from those foolish companions. There was only freedom, peace, and... a space belonging solely to the two of them.
Tom stood in the middle of the living room, looking around at everything in silence for a long while. The icy mask on his face had shattered completely, revealing an almost dazed helplessness after being struck by such immense surprise. He walked to the window and gazed at Hogwarts in the distance, then looked back at the warm, comfortable house before finally turning his eyes to Ares.
"This... is your 'difference'?" he asked softly, his tone impossible to read. Once again, he realized that Ares's secrets ran far deeper than he had imagined, and were... far more reassuring.
Ares walked to his side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him as they looked out at the view. "This is ours, Tom," he repeated. "This summer, we can do anything we want."
Tom slowly let out a breath, as if expelling all the heaviness that had been pressing against his chest. He turned to face Ares, and fire rekindled in his black eyes—not with restlessness or violence, but with the light of plans and control.
"We need to make a plan." His tone returned to its usual calmness, though obvious excitement colored it. "Magic practice, reading, and... exploring Hogsmeade. This place is safer than the Room of Requirement, and more... respectable."
He almost immediately got into the spirit of things and began planning their unexpected holiday. Watching him swiftly regain his vitality, Ares felt his heart fill with satisfaction.
This summer was destined to be completely different from every summer they had spent at the orphanage before. Here, they could practice magic without restraint, discuss those dangerous subjects, and even secretly observe Hogsmeade's wizarding residents.
That night, as they lay separately in beds far more comfortable than anything at the orphanage, Tom spoke in the darkness. "Ares."
"Hmm?"
"This place is nice."
Those simple three words contained all of his approval and... sense of belonging.
[Yay! Mission complete! (★ ω ★) Target's emotions stabilized, sense of belonging +! Soul Anchor stability increased!] [Tip: Building a "home" together is the best breeding ground for forging bonds! (???) ]
Listening to the system's cheerful notification and gazing at the starry sky above Hogsmeade, Ares's lips curved slightly upward.
That Golden Key had opened not merely a house, but a summer haven for him and Tom, far from the shadows of their past. It had also provided a solid, hidden foothold for their future Symbiosis of Light and Dark. Here, perhaps certain feelings would grow quietly and luxuriantly, like summer vines in undisturbed stillness.
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