New Resident of the House of the King

Thank you to the esteemed reader "Tearful Cat Head☆" for the grand certification!!! Ten extra chapters! (6/10)

I was going to make major revisions to the chaotic plot from the earlier chapters!!

The day Zhang Wen returned to Hogwarts from Malfoy Manor, the weather was gloomy.

Zhang Wen pushed open the door to the professors' quarters. Artoria followed behind him, and behind her came a red-haired girl with her arms folded, her face plainly declaring, "I don't think this place is anything special."

On the way to Hogwarts, the three of them had spent a long time discussing their identities.

Artoria's identity was already settled: Zhang Wen's assistant and his "distant relative."

Mordred's identity was more troublesome. She could neither claim to be King Arthur's son nor say she was a soul sealed away by Merlin.

One of the Round Table Knights from thousands of years ago—that identity was a little too terrifying.

It would invite endless trouble.

And nobody would believe it anyway.

In the end, Zhang Wen made the call:

"Just say you're my distant cousin. You came from the European continent to seek refuge with me. Your parents are both dead, and I'm responsible for looking after you."

Mordred exploded on the spot:

"Why am I your cousin? Do I look like one of your relatives?"

"Then whose cousin do you want to say you are?"

Zhang Wen asked in return.

Mordred opened her mouth, looked at Artoria, then at Zhang Wen, and finally said sulkily:

"Fine. Guess I'm just unlucky."

And so Mordred Pendragon became Professor Zhang Wen's distant cousin, from some magical town in southern France. Due to a family crisis, she would be staying temporarily at Hogwarts.

After putting away their luggage, Zhang Wen took the two of them to the headmaster's office to register her arrival.

The stone gargoyle moved aside, and the spiral staircase carried them to the familiar oak door.

Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk feeding Fox. When he saw them enter, a glint flashed behind the old man's half-moon glasses—a look Zhang Wen knew all too well: I know everything, but I won't say a word.

"Ah, Professor Zhang Wen, you've returned."

Dumbledore rose to his feet, his gaze landing directly on Mordred.

"This is the cousin you mentioned in your letter?"

"Yes, Headmaster. Her name is Mordred. She's been living on the European continent, but something happened to her family recently, so she could only come seek refuge with me."

Zhang Wen smoothly recited the story he had prepared long ago.

Mordred folded her arms and raised her chin, staring at Dumbledore as though she were sizing up an opponent.

Dumbledore did not look away. Instead, he smiled and met her gaze, as if admiring something interesting.

"Miss Mordred,"

Dumbledore said,

"Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Mm." Mordred gave him only that one syllable.

Cold sweat was practically pouring down Zhang Wen's back.

Dumbledore, however, did not mind. He turned to Artoria, then back to Zhang Wen, and said leisurely:

"Professor Zhang Wen, your family members certainly each have their own distinctive charm."

There was far too much implied in that sentence, so Zhang Wen chose to pretend he had not understood.

"Headmaster, I'll arrange her food, lodging, and daily supervision. She won't cause trouble for the school."

"That's good, that's good."

Dumbledore sat back down and pulled a jar of Lemon Sherbet from a drawer, pushing it across the desk.

"Miss Mordred, would you like one?"

Mordred glanced at it and said expressionlessly:

"I don't eat sweets."

Artoria gave a nearly imperceptible cough beside her.

Zhang Wen knew Artoria was holding back laughter, because Mordred had snatched two Chocolate Frogs from him on the train just moments ago.

After leaving the headmaster's office, Zhang Wen decided to show Mordred around the castle.

As it turned out, the trip was much harder than he had expected.

Not because the path was difficult, but because Mordred stopped every five steps.

The first time was on the marble staircase.

Halfway up the stairs, the entire flight suddenly began to rotate, shifting all three of them, feet and all, to the entrance of another floor.

Mordred clung tightly to the railing, her red hair practically standing on end.

"What the hell is this thing?!"

"Stairs."

Zhang Wen answered simply.

"Aren't stairs supposed to stay put?!"

"Hogwarts has one hundred and forty-two staircases, and most of them move."

Zhang Wen spoke as he walked.

"Some change direction on Fridays, some pretend a step has disappeared, and one of them periodically sends people somewhere completely unrelated."

Mordred stared at that staircase for a full ten seconds, then muttered:

"...If they installed this in Camelot, Father would be late for morning court every day."

Artoria's lips curled upward almost imperceptibly when she heard that.

The second time was in the corridor leading to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

A portrait of the Fat Lady was chatting with another portrait of an armored knight. When she saw the three of them approaching, the Fat Lady greeted them warmly:

"Professor Zhang Wen, welcome back! Is this young lady your guest?"

Mordred abruptly stopped and stared directly at the painting.

"...It's talking."

"Yes."

"It's moving."

"Yes."

"It was just talking to another painting."

"Yes."

Mordred fell silent for several seconds, then leaned toward the portrait and poked the frame.

"Hey, what are you inside there? Paint?"

The Fat Lady jumped in fright and hurriedly covered her chest.

"Miss, please show some respect!"

"It can get angry too!" Mordred turned excitedly toward Artoria.

"Mother... Artoria, look! It can get angry!"

Artoria frowned slightly. "Mordred, don't harass the portraits."

Mordred curled her lips and took a step back. Though unwilling in words, her eyes were still glued to the painting.

Zhang Wen watched the scene, suppressing a laugh as he pulled her onward.

He thought, This girl kept saying Camelot was ten thousand times better than this place, but her eyes were saying, "This place is way more fun than Camelot."

The third stop came because they ran into two living people.

More precisely, they ran into Fred Weasley and George Weasley.

The twins had just crawled out of some hidden passageway, each holding several suspicious little balls emitting green smoke. The moment they looked up, they saw Zhang Wen with two unfamiliar young women.

"Professor!"

Fred reacted quickly, swiftly hiding the balls behind his back.

"We were just... studying Potions homework!"

"Studying it in the corridor?" Zhang Wen raised an eyebrow.

"You can't stop inspiration when it strikes."

George winked.

Then both their gazes fell on Mordred at the same time.

"And this is...?"

Fred asked.

"My distant cousin, Mordred."

Zhang Wen introduced her.

"Mordred, these are the Weasley Brothers, Gryffindor students. They're usually rather... creative."

Mordred narrowed her eyes as she sized them up.

"What are you hiding behind your backs?"

Fred and George exchanged a glance.

George slowly held out his hand.

"Well... a smoke bomb we developed ourselves. We originally planned to test it during Professor Snape's class."

Mordred's eyes lit up at once.

"You made that to blow someone up?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down!"

Fred quickly made a silencing gesture.

"But... yes, that's more or less the idea."

Mordred turned to Zhang Wen, looking completely serious.

"Father... Cousin, I think Hogwarts students are more interesting than I expected."

"..." Zhang Wen rubbed his forehead.

Fred and George, meanwhile, wore the delighted expressions of people who had found one of their own.

"Miss Mordred, if you're interested, we could show you around our 'laboratory,'" George invited enthusiastically.

"No." Zhang Wen and Artoria spoke in unison.

Mordred: ":("

As they continued down the corridor, more and more students gathered to stare.

Second-year Hermione Granger was coming out of the library carrying a stack of thick books. When she saw Mordred, she froze for a moment, probably wondering where this red-haired girl had come from.

Several Hufflepuff girls whispered among themselves at the corner, their eyes repeatedly drifting toward Mordred.

Even the usually expressionless Slytherin prefect took a few extra looks.

At first, Mordred rather enjoyed the feeling of being the center of attention. But as they walked, she grew annoyed and glared right back.

"What are you looking at? Never seen a pretty girl before?"

The students she glared at quickly lowered their heads and hurried away.

Zhang Wen rubbed his temples.

"Mordred, we were discussing the matter of you keeping a low profile."

"Isn't this low-profile enough?"

Mordred retorted.

"I haven't even drawn my sword."

"..."

Artoria said softly beside him:

"She's already restraining herself."

Zhang Wen thought of the history of Camlann and decided not to argue with this mother and daughter over the meaning of the word "restrained."

The dormitory area was on the western side of the castle, with the professors' rooms spread along a corridor carpeted in dark red.

Zhang Wen's quarters had two bedrooms and a living room. Outside was the sitting room and a small study, while the bedrooms were inside.

He arranged for Artoria to stay in the suite next door, because Professor McGonagall had said it had originally been a spare room and could be lived in once it was tidied up.

As for Mordred's room, Dumbledore had previously said she could stay temporarily on the professors' floor until further arrangements could be made.

Zhang Wen had originally planned to let her use the spare room in his own quarters.

But when they reached the door, Mordred folded her arms and declared with complete confidence:

"I'm sleeping with Artoria tonight."

Zhang Wen paused.

"Why?"

"I have my reasons." Mordred turned her head away.

Artoria glanced at her and did not refuse.

"All right."

Mordred's eyes lit up. She grabbed her luggage and rushed straight into Artoria's room.

Zhang Wen shook his head helplessly and carried his own luggage into his room.

That evening, he had just finished showering and was sitting at his desk organizing tomorrow's teaching notes when a thunderous roar suddenly came from next door.

"Father!!!"

The quill in Zhang Wen's hand dropped onto the parchment with a smack, bleeding a large blot of ink.

Then, the connecting door between his room and Artoria's room—a door no one normally used—was violently pushed open.

Mordred stood in the doorway, one hand on his hip and the other pointing at Zhang Wen, his red hair practically bursting into flames.

"Your rooms are connected!"

His voice echoed down the corridor.

Artoria followed behind him, the calm expression on her face swiftly turning awkward as her gaze began to wander.

Mordred refused to let it go.

"This door! What is this door for?! Father! Have you and Mother already... already..."

He held it in for a long while before finally forcing out half a sentence.

"Already done that?!"

Zhang Wen sprang out of his chair.

"No! Absolutely not! I've never even opened this door!"

"Then why is it here?!"

"...Because these two rooms were originally designed as a suite for married professors! It was already like this before I arrived!"

"Married?!" Mordred's voice shot up another octave. "Then what does it mean for Mother to move in here?!"

Artoria's face turned completely red. She turned away and stared at a landscape painting hanging on the wall from who knew what year, as though it contained some earth-shattering secret.

"Zhang Wen..."

Her voice was so soft it was nearly inaudible.

"You... didn't tell me about this before."

"I! I only remembered just now!"

Zhang Wen raised both hands.

"When Professor McGonagall assigned the rooms, she only said it was next door. I really didn't know these two doors were..."

Mordred crossed his arms and looked the two flustered people up and down, then snorted coldly.

"...Anyway, I'm sleeping in front of this door tonight," he announced. "No one is getting through from this side."