Just as Old Charlie had said, the car came to a stop after roughly fifteen minutes. However, because the vehicle had been making frequent spatial jumps, Avada had no idea where they were exactly, or how far they were from London. If he used the Knight Bus's speed as a reference, then he was probably already somewhere in central or northern Britain.
They were parked beside a small cottage in the middle of a vast grassland. Looking out through the car window, Avada saw an immense stretch of flat, lush green earth. In the far distance, it rose and fell gently like waves before merging seamlessly with the bright, translucent blue sky. A few thick white clouds drifted lazily overhead, hanging so low that every ripple and fold in them was clearly visible, as if one could touch them simply by reaching out.
The cottage itself, with its white walls and gray roof, stood alone in the heart of this beautiful plain. Only a narrow path extended outward, connecting it to a distant road. Beside it was a small paved area of stone slabs, where their car was currently parked.
Old Charlie was the first to get out. He opened the door and invited Avada and Baron out. As the door swung open, Avada felt a moist breeze brush against his face, carrying with it the fresh, pleasant scent of grass.
"The environment here is really wonderful," he said sincerely.
"Of course it is," Baron replied with a smile. "Beautiful, quiet, and far away from people. To be honest, the Muggle-Repelling Charm here hardly ever needs to be used. On ordinary days, we can freely ride broomsticks across the grasslands, go camping, or walk the Crups…"
"Young master, let's go inside," Old Charlie said.
He had already taken Avada's luggage out of the boot. Under Avada's curious gaze, Old Charlie's body suddenly began to change. His hair vanished, his ears grew longer, his eyes enlarged, and his skin gradually turned a grayish-brown. In the blink of an eye, he transformed from a short old man into an even shorter elderly house-elf.
He then lightly brushed his suit with one hand. In an instant, the clothes turned into what looked like a sheet of cloth, now neatly wrapped around his body, surprisingly well-fitted and proper.
Carrying the luggage in one hand, he took out a key with the other, unlocked the cottage door, and walked inside.
At a glance, Avada could tell that the house concealed a remarkable spatial structure. He also knew that the residence of a pure-blood noble could never be so simple. Without saying a word, he followed Charlie and Baron inside—this cottage was even smaller than the Burrow from the films.
Although the interior was spotless, it was far too minimal, hardly looking like a place meant for living. Aside from a table and a few chairs, there was almost nothing else.
"I am Charlie," the old elf said, standing in the center of the room, though it was unclear whom he was addressing. "I have brought Young Master Baron and his guest back."
After speaking, he walked straight to the other end of the cottage, where a tightly closed back door stood. He drew a few symbols on the door panel with his finger, then turned and smiled at Avada.
"Welcome to Shafiq Manor, Mr. Ken."
He gently turned the handle and pushed the door open. The sight beyond left Avada utterly stunned.
Behind the cottage was still a vast grassland. On the stone-paved area closest to the house stood a car—it was clearly the same one Avada had just ridden in. Beyond that, a wide stone road stretched forward, leading straight into a manor of staggering scale and grandeur, unlike anything Avada had ever seen in either his past or present life.
Along the stone road, the first thing that caught the eye was a magical fountain. The water sprayed high into the air, but instead of forming a rainbow in the mist, it shimmered with drifting points of starlight. Around it stood exquisite stone statues, as well as rows upon rows of neatly planted trees.
Behind the fountain rose a courtyard. Compared to the entire manor, it was not enormous, but the delicacy of its decorations set it apart from the outside world entirely—flowerbeds, gazebos, outdoor tables and chairs, pools where all manner of strange fish swam leisurely… And at the center of the courtyard stood a magnificent marble villa, which was naturally the Shafiq family's residence.
"Heavens… this is really…" Avada murmured involuntarily. Thankfully, he had already seen Hogwarts Castle, or he might have completely lost his composure on the spot.
"All right, let's go," Baron said.
After watching Avada's reaction with great interest for a moment, Baron pulled him along to the front of the mansion. He knocked on the door a few times, then stepped back.
Click.
A soft sound came from behind the door, and the two panels slowly slid open. Beyond them was a corridor laid with 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 their shoes, so there was no need to change footwear—and into a grand, stately sitting room.
Two people were seated inside, apparently chatting just moments ago. Hearing the footsteps, they turned around and looked at the pair with warm smiles.
"Baron, you're back?" the slightly burly middle-aged man said first. Then he looked at Avada beside him, stood up, and walked over. "You must be Ken. Hello, hello. Baron's mentioned you quite often these past few days."
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Shafiq," Avada said, shaking his hand and then giving a small bow to the lady beside him.
"I'm Johnson Shafiq, and this is my wife, Joan," Mr. Shafiq introduced them. He then looked at Avada with curiosity. "If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is your full name?"
"Every time Baron mentions you, he only calls you Ken. When I asked about your full name, he refused to tell me, saying that Headmaster Dumbledore ordered you to keep it secret?"
"Cough…"
Avada desperately organized his words, afraid that the invisible house-elf nearby might suddenly leap out and knock him flat the moment he spoke.
"…It's the incantation of the Killing Curse."
"What?"
"My name is the incantation of the Killing Curse. 'Ken' is taken from the second word of it."
"..."
The Shafiq couple looked at each other in confusion, then turned questioning gazes toward Baron. When they saw him nod, they looked even more bewildered.
"The incantation of the Killing Curse?" Mr. Shafiq asked tentatively. "You mean Ava… that one?"
"Yes."
"So your name is Ava…da, and your surname is Kendavia?"
"That's right."
"Then… then who gave you such a name?"
"The Department of Mysteries…"
And so, Avada could only recount once more the Department of Mysteries' outrageous antics. By the time he finished, Avada had one hand pressed to his forehead, Baron was struggling desperately not to laugh, and the Shafiq couple stared at each other, utterly speechless.
When they first heard that Avada's true name had been ordered hidden by Dumbledore, they had assumed he might be the descendant of some foreign pure-blood noble, or perhaps the child of someone with a highly sensitive identity, with the so-called Muggle-born background merely a cover. Given Dumbledore's status, they had even speculated whether this "Ken" might bear the surname Grindelwald.
In the end, however, the truth seemed both more mundane than they had imagined—and somehow even more shocking.
"Oh, right—since your name is that… does that mean you're destined to meet Harry Potter the moment school starts?" Mr. Shafiq suddenly thought of something, and his gaze toward Avada gradually became strange.
Avada: ...
This joke is never going away, is it?!
(End of Chapter)