Chapter 208 - 208: Godric's Hollow

Words : 1817 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

"….." Stan chuckled. "That depends on your relationship. But if you ask me, no matter how close you two are, it's still better to take separate beds. The ride can get a bit bumpy at times." Audrey instantly realised she'd made a fool of herself and lightly punched Edward, who was laughing at her embarrassment. Edward smiled and asked, "Then where should our pets rest?" "Hmm, the cat can stay with you two, of course. But the dog…she's a bit too big." Susie, who had learned some basic conversational phrases over the past few days, cast a mournful look his way: Big? Is being big a crime? Am I eating your food or something? "Flavido," Edward said, waving his wand and transforming Susie into a small Papillon. "How about now?" "Ooh, lovely Transfiguration! I mean—of course that works. If you're all set, then let's get moving!" The moment they sat down on the beds, the Knight Bus gave a thunderous BANG and lurched forward at breakneck speed. Audrey climbed into the bed and looked out at the blur speeding past the window. "This is way faster than a normal Muggle car." "Of course!" Stan replied with a touch of pride. "Muggle cars are nothing compared to ours!" Audrey shot Edward a helpless glance. In the wizarding world, looking down on Muggles seemed to have become second nature. But the fact was, the most powerful wizards—like Dumbledore and Grindelwald—knew exactly how fast the Muggle world was progressing. She wondered if Dumbledore would be able to change that mindset if he really did become Minister for Magic someday. The two of them lay on their respective beds, turned slightly so they could see each other's faces. Edward was smiling. Audrey, however, still looked a little uncomfortable. She scrunched up her nose and huffed, "Quit smiling!" "At once, madam." Edward instantly put on a straight face—but somehow, that only made him look more ridiculous. Audrey knew he was teasing her, and despite herself, couldn't help but smile a little. Nearby, Lilith tilted her head curiously and watched them for a moment. Then she jumped down beside Susie and whispered, "What are they doing?" "Hmm, I think this is what humans call 'falling in love'," Susie answered thoughtfully. Lilith nodded in sudden understanding. "Ohhh, so that means they're going to take off all their clothes soon?" Susie: "???" Hey now, I never said that! Lilith added with the air of an expert, "When I'm out catching mice at night, I see that kind of thing all the time! I'll take you with me next time!" "…Thanks, but no thanks." At that moment, the conductor Stan let out a sudden exclamation as he stared at a newspaper in his hands. "Is this Rita Skeeter woman schizophrenic or what?! Just a few days ago she wrote a whole column accusing Dumbledore of plotting to dominate the wizarding world, practically calling him the most terrifying Dark Lord in history! And now, all of a sudden, she's praising him to the skies, comparing him to Merlin himself!" He flipped the paper back and forth. "Wait a minute, did I accidentally buy a disguised copy of The Quibbler?" Edward and Audrey exchanged knowing glances. Looks like Rita acted faster than expected. Guess she really was scared out of her wits the other day. As the Knight Bus steadied out, the soothing, swaying rhythm began to lull them into drowsiness, their eyelids growing heavier. "Alright, close your eyes and get some rest." "Mhm, see you in a bit." "See you in a bit." ——— 2:00 PM. The Knight Bus arrived at Godric's Hollow with a BANG, dropped off Edward and the others, and then vanished with another loud pop. The two of them stood on a rise overlooking the ancient snow-covered village below. "Whew—it really is a beautiful and peaceful little village." Godric's Hollow was one of the oldest wizarding settlements in Britain. It was the birthplace of Godric Gryffindor, one of the four founders of Hogwarts. The village had remained mostly unchanged for hundreds of years, much like the wizarding world itself—reluctant to integrate with the Muggle world, and as a result, slowly left behind and surpassed by those very Muggles they once looked down upon. In December, Godric's Hollow lay under a thick blanket of snow. Compared to Hogsmeade, it gave off a much more homey, lived-in feeling. At the village's centre was a small square, and in its centre stood a structure resembling a war memorial. The monument was enchanted; when a wizard passed by, it transformed from a plain obelisk covered in names into a statue of three people: a man with messy hair and glasses, a beautiful woman with long hair and kind features, and a baby sitting in the woman's arms. Audrey looked at the statue with a sigh. "Harry really does look a lot like his father." "Which is exactly why Professor Snape dislikes him so much—especially since he inherited his mother's bright green eyes." "Uh, well…" Audrey found herself at a loss for words. Regarding the tangled love and hate between Snape and the Potters, she had always thought Snape might have once been the weaker party in the beginning. But once he joined the Death Eaters and committed those unspeakable acts, he had forfeited any justification. It's not as if you could say, "You only lost your lives, but I lost love." Nearby, Lilith and Susie were dashing around the statue, running close and then further away, amused by the way it shifted between a stone obelisk and a magical sculpture. "Let's go see Harry's house first," Edward suggested. At the end of a row of houses, they spotted a ruin buried in waist-high weeds. Most of the house still stood, smothered in dark ivy and snow, but the right side of the upper floor had been blown apart. The ruin remained as a memorial to the Potters' sacrifice in their fight against Voldemort. Many witches and wizards had visited over the years, leaving messages of support for Harry. But to most of them, the events that happened here were nothing more than a legend. They might sigh over the Potters' tragedy, but they could never truly understand it. Opening the old door with a creak, the two stepped into the silent interior—kitchen, living room, bedroom. Everything seemed frozen in the moment of that fateful night. On the living room wall hung a photograph: a baby laughing as he rode a toy broomstick, while the young Potters hovered protectively at his sides, their faces radiant with joy. But that joy had perished with that night. All that remained was a boy with a scar on his forehead, destined to become the protagonist of a new era. Edward pulled out his notebook and wrote: October 31st, 1981. Lily and James Potter perished here. From this moment, the fate of Harry Potter, the boy who lived, began to turn. Just then, Lilith crawled out from under the ivy in the yard, shaking snow from her fur. "Huh?" she said in confusion. "Edward, there's a really big rat hole here." Edward and Audrey exchanged a glance and trudged through the snow. Beneath the pitch-black ivy, they indeed found signs of digging. Though someone had tried to cover it up, and the snowfall had helped mask it, there were still clear traces if one looked carefully. Edward waved his wand, conjuring a gust of wind that blew the snow away, revealing a relatively fresh burrow. "It looks recently dug," Audrey remarked in surprise. "But who would dig a hole in the Potters' yard? Were they looking for something?" "Lilith, could you take a look?" Edward asked. "Wait a moment," he added, popping a coin to scan for danger. After confirming the tunnel was safe, he cast several magnified protective charms on Lilith before letting her go in. Half a minute later, a muddy little cat crawled back out. Audrey quickly used a cleaning spell to tidy her up. "There's nothing inside!" Lilith reported. "Could it have been a local Muggle?" Audrey speculated. "Looking for treasure or something?" "That's unlikely. Muggles can't even see this place," Edward replied thoughtfully. "Come on, let's check out Dumbledore's old house." They turned and trudged through ankle-deep snow across much of the village, eventually stopping in front of a very old but well-maintained house. Though it looked weathered, the walls hadn't crumbled at all—likely because the Dumbledore brothers still returned to maintain it from time to time. The yard was covered in lush green vines, unseasonal flowers blooming brightly among them—a stark contrast against the surrounding snow. Clearly, magic was at work here. Lilith and Susie darted around the perimeter, quickly circling the yard. "No rat holes here," they reported. "You two wait outside," Edward instructed, pulling Audrey in with him using Alohomora. The moment they entered, they were greeted by chaos—an overturned sitting room, muddy footprints everywhere. The basement door stood ajar, a damp, mouldy odour wafting out. They exchanged a look, then cast Disillusionment Charms to conceal themselves before quietly descending. As expected, the basement had been ransacked too. A deep pit had been dug into the floor, but whoever had broken in was long gone. "Was this Voldemort's doing?" Audrey asked. "But if it was him…what was he trying to find?" Dumbledore only ever possessed one thing that Voldemort might desire: the Elder Wand. But that had already been lost for years. "We'll ask Professor Dumbledore when we get back." The two returned to the sitting room, cleaned up the mess, and straightened out the disarray before opening the door and stepping outside. Just as they did, a pale-faced blonde woman, bundled in heavy winter clothes, happened to pass by the gate. She wasn't particularly attractive, and both parties froze for a moment before the woman spoke first. "This is the Dumbledore place, isn't it? And you two are…?" "Ah—yes," Edward recovered quickly. "We're here at Professor Dumbledore's request, just checking on the house." The woman nodded. "I see. I heard it's been abandoned for a long time. Most folks say the owners died ages ago." She didn't seem to know who Dumbledore really was—most likely a Muggle. "Hmm…They probably come back from time to time," Edward replied. "Maybe no one ever happened to see them." "Is that so?" The woman gave a faint smile. "Well, the old folks around here always say those two brothers killed their sister…then fled in guilt and shame, never daring to return." Audrey gasped and covered her mouth in shock. The Dumbledore brothers…killed their sister? How could that be possible?! ——— [Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.

Chapter 208 - 208: Godric's Hollow

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