"Harry, what kind of magical creature do you think Tom is taking us to see?"
The next day arrived swiftly. Harry and Malfoy met in Tom's fourth-floor office.
"Oh? You're here?"
Tom set aside the letter he'd been reading. "Shall we?"
"Huh? Tom?"
Harry was bewildered. Usually, they only went on these outings during the holidays. Why were they skipping class on the first day back?
Malfoy, by contrast, seemed far more relaxed. He cared only about where they were going and hoped the trip would last a few days. His godfather had become moodier lately, even slipping strange potions into his drinks under the guise of buying him beverages.
Fortunately, Malfoy possessed the wisdom to deflect any harm.
"I know what you're thinking."
Tom rose and approached them. "But do not fret; this will be a brief excursion."
With a casual wave of his hand, a wisp of black mist enveloped Harry and Malfoy.
With a sharp crack, the three figures vanished.
...
Eastern Asia, along the western Pacific coast—a peculiar yet familiar country.
Steep, interconnected rocky peaks; enclosed or semi-enclosed depressions filled with water, forming lakes; and grooves etched into the rocky surfaces of the forests... typical karst topography.
Beside a waterfall with a significant drop, the forest teemed with towering subtropical trees, tall and straight firs finding purchase in the moist soil.
The sun had already set, but in the moonlight, the dark forest wasn't completely black. The sound of rushing water was strangely comforting.
Crack!
Space shimmered, and Tom and his two companions materialized beside the waterfall.
Gazing at the towering trees above and feeling the damp earth beneath his feet, Harry blurted out, "Where in the hell are we?"
"This is East Asia, on the western coast of the Pacific Ocean."
Tom scanned their surroundings, as if searching for something.
"Asia... East?"
Malfoy's brain lagged momentarily. After a few seconds, his eyes widened. Tom had crossed the entire Eurasian continent with a single Apparition—and with two passengers?!
He lifted his chin proudly. Okay, I am not the one who is awesome, but the awesome person is someone I have a very close relationship with!
This realization filled him with pride.
"So, Tom, what business brings us here?"
Seeing Tom move, Harry hurried to follow.
"Have you heard the story of Dumbledore and Grindelwald?"
Tom didn't answer Harry's question directly, instead posing a question of his own.
"You mean their passionate, tumultuous summer affair? The one I have to repeat word-for-word? I think it went something like…"
"Ahem. That was something I told you about some time ago. I am referring to the story I told you more recently, about their final duel."
"Oh, you mean their last fight?"
"Yes."
Seeing that Harry finally understood, Tom nodded slightly. "Before their final confrontation, Grindelwald sought the position of Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. The magical creature he relied upon for his campaign was..."
As they spoke, they unknowingly covered quite a distance.
Not far from the waterfall, the bushes rustled, and a four-legged creature emerged into the moonlight.
"A Qilin," said Tom.
Harry and Malfoy followed his gaze. The creature was about the size of a young deer, its coat a brownish-yellow.
Resembling both dragon and deer, it had two long, whisker-like appendages extending from its nostrils to the middle of its body. Its back was covered in golden-bronze scales that shimmered in the moonlight.
"A Qilin...?"
Malfoy was entranced. He adored gold, and the golden hue of the Qilin captivated him.
Tom approached the water's edge. The young unicorn, which had been drinking, looked up at him. "An adult unicorn is far larger than a deer. Clearly, this one is but a juvenile, only slightly larger than a fawn."
"Judging by its size, it is likely fifty or sixty years old."
Tom and the little unicorn curiously examined each other. "It might be the one Newt escorted back then."
It was said that unicorns lived for around two thousand years, hence their slow growth rate.
Even so, their numbers remained few.
Therefore, it wasn't impossible that after Newt and Albus Dumbledore failed to secure the Supreme Mugwump position, they had returned it to a suitable habitat.
While Tom was observing the young unicorn, it, too, was watching him.
The unicorn possessed the ability to foresee the future, but it could not see Tom's future—not at all.
(Because Tom can also see the future, his future is uncertain.)
Furthermore, the unicorn could see into a person's soul, discerning the purity of their heart.
When the Qilin met someone of pure heart, it bowed.
But Tom… it could not understand!
In the little Qilin's eyes, Tom's soul was like an ineffable entity. It felt incredibly dangerous and terrifying, yet it did not seem impure or corrupt; rather, it felt like a special essence.
While it was likely impure overall, it was also surprisingly pure.
However, this was merely its own impression, as it could not fully penetrate Tom's soul.
Therefore, it could not judge. After hesitating about whether to bow, the little Qilin decided to assess the other two first.
Tom turned and beckoned Harry and Malfoy forward. "Come, stand before it."
Despite their puzzlement, Harry and Malfoy complied.
Then, they heard a wicked laugh beside them. "Hmph, whoever makes the Qilin bow will become my second-in-command!"
? ? !
Malfoy's eyes widened in shock. He thought he'd never have a chance. Sorry, Harry! Hehehe...
Harry, on the other hand, felt wronged. Wasn't that supposed to be my title? How dare you trifle with a tough guy's heart! I've been wronged! I've been wronged! Waaaaah...
Tom cared little for their thoughts; he merely felt a whimsical urge to have Harry and Malfoy retrace Dumbledore and Grindelwald's steps, thinking it might be interesting.
Besides, he wasn't "tricking Harry"; Harry remained his second-in-command.
Tom's decision wouldn't change, regardless of who the Qilin chose.
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