Chapter 209 - 209: Phoenix are The Bringer of Misfortune

Words : 1981 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

Edward thought for a moment and said, "But as far as I know, they aren't the kind of people you described. I believe there must be some kind of misunderstanding." The woman neither confirmed nor denied it. "That, I wouldn't know." After a pause, she glanced at Lilith and Susie and asked, "You didn't come all this way just to take a look at the house, did you? Are you on holiday? Visiting family or friends?" Edward shook the notebook in his hand. "We're students. We're currently working on a travelogue about the customs and myths of different regions across the UK. We heard Godric's Hollow has a long history and beautiful scenery, and since Professor Dumbledore asked someone to come check on his old house, we took the opportunity to visit." "Oh?" The woman looked intrigued. "But how did you get here? It's been snowing for nearly half a month. The road should be completely snowed in. Don't tell me you hiked in?" Edward had just opened his mouth to respond when she continued, "But judging by what you two are wearing, you don't look like you could've hiked ten-odd miles through heavy snow." Edward and Audrey exchanged a glance, momentarily unsure how to answer. Thankfully, the woman quickly apologised. "Sorry, I'm asking too many questions. Goodbye." She turned to leave, but after taking two steps, she looked back and said, "By the way, I've lived in Godric's Hollow since I was a child. I've heard the village elders tell many old tales and legends about this place. If you're interested, I could share some with you." Edward was more than happy to accept. "We'd appreciate that." "It's far too cold here. Why don't we head to the village pub? I'll tell you more on the way." "Thank you. That would be great." The woman took the lead, guiding them through the snow at a steady pace as they made their way to the pub. "Godric's Hollow began as an isolated little mountain village. Over a thousand years ago, a remarkable man emerged from this place—Sir Godric. The village was later renamed in his honour." "According to legend, this man wielded wondrous magic. Yes, I mean wizardry—the kind practised by witches and wizards. Some people say such magic is real, and has always existed through the ages. Some even swear they've seen it with their own eyes." She turned back to look at them. "What do you think?" Audrey smiled. "I hope it's real." "Why?" "Because then the world would be all the more interesting, wouldn't it?" The woman nodded, as if enlightened. "Exactly!" She suddenly remembered something. "Oh, I haven't introduced myself—how rude of me. I'm Cecilia." "Edward." "I'm Audrey." "Are you two a couple?" Edward was just about to reply when Audrey shot him a look and raised her chin slightly. "Not yet." "….." "Heh, then you'd better work hard," Cecilia said with a grin, repeating something not unlike what Priscilla had once said to him. "These past years, people from outside have come to Godric's Hollow from time to time, always heading toward Sir Godric's grave. As if they're hoping to find something there." Edward was taken aback. "Sir Godric's grave? He was buried here after he died?" "That's what the legends say. Later on, the locals even built a small chapel beside his tomb," she said, pointing toward the far end of the valley. "Just over there." "Many elderly people who moved away from here during their lifetime requested to be brought back and buried outside that chapel—right next to Sir Godric." She chuckled softly. "Maybe they were hoping to tap into the power of magic and one day crawl back out of their graves." Then she recounted a number of legends passed down over the centuries in Godric's Hollow—some about wizards, some about monsters, and even one involving the mythical figure of Death itself. Edward recorded everything diligently, occasionally jotting down notes and speculative thoughts. "To be honest, most of these stories sound like fairy tales. But after hearing them so many times, I sometimes can't help wondering…If they were all true, wouldn't that be fascinating?" As her storytelling ended, the narrow alley fell into silence, broken only by the crunch of footsteps on snow. A cat and a dog flanked their sides, leaving trails of paw prints in the fresh powder like blooming plum blossoms. "We're here." Cecilia came to a stop in front of a house that looked much like all the others nearby. If not for the sign hanging above the door, it would have been impossible to tell it was a pub. She gently pushed open the wooden door, and a wave of warmth rushed out, accompanied by the sound of laughter. "Come on in. The fruit wine here is quite good—you should give it a try." The pub was quite tiny. Six or seven elderly men, each at least in their sixties, were gathered around drinking and chatting. As the door opened, they glanced over. One of them raised his glass with a grin. "Cecilia, back for more drinks?" Then, noticing the two unfamiliar faces behind her, he blinked. "Huh? Who're they?" Cecilia smiled gently. "They're guests from outside the village. Get them each a glass of the best fruit wine, on me." "Have a seat, you two." Soon, the innkeeper brought over two glasses of orange-colored fruit wine and a shot of tequila. The pair offered their thanks and tasted the fruit wine. It was slightly tart and sweet, with a subtle alcoholic aftertaste. Overall, quite pleasant. Lilith grew curious. She climbed onto Edward's thigh and stretched across the table edge to lap at the fruit wine. After a few seconds of consideration, she licked it again—seemed tasty! She immediately shot Susie a look. Susie blinked innocently: I don't have your shamelessness to sneak a sip. Cecilia took a small sip of her tequila, then asked again, "Have you heard of the phoenix?" Edward and Lilith nodded in unison. "Yes." "It's said that more than a hundred years ago, a phoenix descended from the sky and appeared in Godric's Hollow. Many people claimed to have witnessed it with their own eyes…it landed right at the Dumbledore residence you just visited." "Everyone believed it was a good omen, a symbol that someone remarkable would emerge from the Dumbledore family. But then, a little over a decade later, tragedy struck—those two brothers ended up killing their own sister. The phoenix had not brought blessings, but calamity." "After that, the brothers left, and Godric's Hollow fell into a long period of peace—until ten years ago, when the Potters, who originally lived here, suddenly disappeared." She turned to look at the two of them, her expression laced with intrigue. "Disappeared, you understand? As if they'd vanished into thin air. But what's even stranger is that the villagers all claimed there had never been a Potter family here to begin with." "Don't you find that eerie?" Edward and Audrey exchanged a look. The ordinary villagers not remembering was likely due to the use of the Memory Charm—but then why did this woman still remember? A fluke? Or perhaps…she was a witch after all, just playing dumb the whole time? With that thought in mind, Edward twirled a coin between his fingers, flicking it up with a ding, silently murmuring a divination phrase in his heart: "Is the woman before us, Cecilia, a witch?" The coin landed in his palm—numerals facing up. A negative result. "What are you doing?" Cecilia asked, watching with evident curiosity. Edward smoothly spun the coin again between his fingers and smiled faintly. "Just a little habit of mine—I do this when I'm thinking." "Thinking?" "Of course." As he pocketed the coin, he pulled out his notebook again and said, "I was considering how best to record the story you just shared. Should I categorise it as a strange occurrence, or something else entirely?" "Hahaha, well, whichever way you write it, no one's going to believe it anyway." Cecilia downed the rest of her tequila in one go and stood up. "Well, I've told you everything I know. Thanks for listening to my rambling tales today." "No, it's us who should be thanking you." "If you're still curious, you could try asking around—plenty of folks here would be happy to share. But for now, I'll be heading home." "Alright. Thank you again." Edward shook her hand and watched as she left. Meanwhile, Audrey rested her chin on her palm, frowning slightly. "What's on your mind?" Edward asked. "Mmm…it's just—I feel like Miss Cecilia looked a little familiar. Like I've seen her somewhere before." Edward blinked. "Really? I didn't notice." At that moment, Lilith jumped up onto the table, tapped the edge of Edward's glass with her paw, and whispered, "Edward, order a drink for Miss Lilith and Susie too!" "This is alcohol," Edward replied. "Drink too much and you'll get dizzy, just like when you got seasick on that boat." "No, no," Lilith insisted. "Miss Lilith is a supernatural being—I don't get drunk!" "Then how come you get seasick?" She tilted her head seriously and said, "That's just how cats are." While the two were whispering to each other, an elderly man at the neighbouring table rubbed his eyes and exclaimed in astonishment, "Oh! I must be drunk already—I could swear I just saw someone talking to a cat." "Hahahaha! Told you not to drink so much." "Come on, finish your glass and go home to sleep." Audrey covered her mouth and giggled. Edward scooped Lilith up and walked to the bar, ordering two non-alcoholic fruit juices—one for Lilith, and one for Susie. "So, where to next?" Audrey asked. "Shall we keep listening to stories from the locals?" "No need. We've got enough material about Godric's Hollow already. Let's wander around a bit more and then…" Edward paused, thinking, "Shall we check out the church said to house Godric's tomb?" "That's exactly what I was thinking." ——— The little church of Godric's Hollow had stood for over a thousand years. Though ancient, being the only church in the area meant it had been repaired repeatedly over the centuries and remained in decent condition. Inside, there were no images or statues of the Virgin Mary or Christ. The only decoration on the wall opposite the entrance was a modest wooden cross. Below it, a simple plaque read: "In memory of a great man." "I suppose that 'great man' refers to Godric Gryffindor—the founder of Gryffindor House," Edward mused aloud. He finished scribbling that note and closed his notebook. Then he and Audrey walked side by side through the church and exited through a narrow door, arriving at the graveyard. Rows of gravestones stood quietly atop the pale blue blanket of snow, their surfaces etched with the names of ancient wizarding families. "Abbott, Potter, Bashat, Ollivander, Dumbledore…" Audrey stopped before one particular headstone. "Dumbledore?" "That's right. Buried here are Professor Dumbledore's parents—and his sister." She gazed at the inscription: "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Then she asked softly, "So…did this Ariana really die because of her brothers?" ——— [Note]: 830 Powerstones for an Extra Chapter tomorrow. And if you are like me and want to read 40 Chapters in advance of the current story right now, you can support me on my Patreon. Thank me later~ Link - (P)atre(o)n.c(o)m/ Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]

Chapter 209 - 209: Phoenix are The Bringer of Misfortune

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