Chapter 3 - 3: Welcome to Hogwarts

Two figures rushed into the smoke-filled room, clad in the uniforms of the Church of the Evernight. Both wore red gloves. The "Red Gloves" were an elite team within the Evernight Church's Night Watchers. Generally, the minimum requirement to join was Sequence 7, making them elite members carefully selected by the church. Earl Hall, a renowned banker in Loen and a devout follower of the Evernight Church, had likely been caught off guard by the situation. As a result, the two Red Gloves sent by the church were only at Sequence 7. The two quickly assessed the scene, and one of them spoke, "The perpetrator has already escaped." "But I was watching outside the entire time. I didn't see anyone leave." "They must have fled during the explosion." Earl Hall was far from his usual composed self. "I don't care about that damn criminal. I just want to know—how is my daughter?" "She's just unconscious." Earl Hall hurriedly picked up Audrey (Edward) and ran out while shouting, "Hibbert, get the doctor here immediately!" Meanwhile, the two Red Gloves remained behind, searching for traces of the intruder. A sudden gust of wind swept through the room, blowing away the lingering dust and smoke. From the sky descended an old man with silver hair and silver eyes, wearing a black robe embroidered with the symbols of the Storm. His expression was grim. It was none other than the "Spellsinger of God" Ace Snake, a Cardinal of the Church of the Lord of Storms, known for his catchphrase, "I will arrive, but always late." His silver eyes quickly scanned the surroundings before another gust of wind lifted him, carrying him off in pursuit of the fleeing suspect. The two Red Gloves exchanged glances and sighed. "Let's head back to the church. We'll leave the pursuit to Lord Spellsinger." ——— In another room of Earl Hall's luxurious mansion, Edward lay quietly on a bed, surrounded by Earl Hall, Hibbert, and a few others. A doctor, wearing glasses and dressed in a neatly pressed uniform, stood up and reassured them, "Your Lordship, Miss Audrey has only fainted from shock. She is otherwise unharmed." Before Earl Hall could respond, Hibbert Hall anxiously asked, "Are you sure? That explosion was massive—are you saying she was only scared?" "I had the nurses check her thoroughly just now. Miss Audrey has no visible injuries. I am certain." Earl Hall exhaled a breath of relief. "That's good." Then he turned to Hibbert. "Any updates from the Evernight Church or the Church of the Storm?" "Not yet, but I'll push for more information." Earl Hall rarely showed anger, but now his face darkened. "No matter who did this, I will not let them go unpunished!" Just then, the sound of sobbing filled the room as the Countess entered, supported by a maid. "Oh, my poor daughter!" Earl Hall sighed in frustration. "Didn't I tell you not to inform your mother yet?" "It was impossible to hide something this big. Besides, Audrey is fine." The Countess hurried to the bedside, reaching out to hold Edward's hand, but Earl Hall quickly intercepted her, guiding her out of the room. "Alright, alright, Audrey is fine. What she needs now is rest." As the door gently closed behind them, the room was finally empty. Edward allowed himself a moment of relaxation. For now, he had passed this hurdle—but how was he supposed to get out of this mess? The Evernight Church likely had people watching the area, not to mention those ever-persistent Mandated Punishers who could take his life at any moment. If he stayed any longer, his disguise would surely be exposed. After all, he was a modern man—worse, a male—trying to impersonate a noble lady. Playing dead when things got awkward could only work for so long. Besides, he was running out of Polyjuice Potion. Edward sighed. He was running out of options when he suddenly sensed someone watching him. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly turned toward the source of the gaze. In the shadows, the golden-furred Susie lay on the floor. Her expression displayed an eerily human-like mix of hesitation, worry, and fear. For a moment, the human and the dog locked eyes. In the end, it was Susie who spoke first. "You…are not Audrey, are you?" Her ears drooped as she slowly stepped out of the shadows. "Where is she? Is she safe? Will you let her go?" Edward immediately sat up, his guard raised. He had no wand within reach. If this turned into a fight, he wasn't sure who would win. Suzie took another step closer, lowering her head slightly and avoiding his gaze as she spoke again. "She…is she still alive?" "She…" Edward had just begun to reply when suddenly, the entire world lost its colour. The surroundings faded into a grey, featureless void. Time and space seemed to freeze in place. The next second, a powerful sense of falling overtook him. His vision blurred from the high-speed descent, and a piercing, maddening whisper filled his ears. It was like nails scratching against a blackboard, or thousands of silver needles stabbing into his fingertips and twisting violently. A searing pain erupted in his mind, as if something foreign was being forcibly crammed inside. It felt like his head was going to explode. His skin began to boil, turning a deep red, while his heartbeat slowed more and more. Nausea. Dizziness. Agony. Torment. Just when all sensations reached their peak, they abruptly vanished—like an illusion. Edward collapsed to his knees, gasping for air as if he had been drowning. His surroundings slowly regained their colours, shifting from a grey void back to reality. A vast, dimly lit space filled with towering stacks of old bookshelves, scattered tables and chairs, and broken, outdated broomsticks—everything about this place screamed one thing: The Room of Requirement! "I…I'm back?" After a brief moment of shock, an overwhelming sense of joy followed. Compared to the crazy, polluted, and perilous world of Lord of the Mysteries, he naturally preferred this one. Yes, Voldemort was lurking around like a persistent troublemaker, but overall, this world was much safer. More importantly, the magic he had mastered here gave him a much stronger sense of security. Unlike in Lord of the Mysteries, where even a Stunning Spell couldn't take down a dog. Sss— A searing pain flared on the back of his left hand. Still in the form of Audrey, his pale, fair hand now bore a faintly glowing, orange-red square mark. The glow lasted for over ten seconds before gradually fading, leaving behind a shallow, square-shaped tattoo—an outline resembling a door. "This is…?" Before he could think further, a surge of information flooded into his mind. This square mark was the key to his transmigration into the Lord of the Mysteries world. Now that it had been activated for the first time, a fixed pattern had been established: every 15 days, he would be forcibly transported between the two worlds. 15 days in Lord of the Mysteries, 15 days in Harry Potter. However, while he was in Harry Potter, time would inexplicably stop in the other world. That meant when he returned to Lord of the Mysteries, he would reappear at the exact moment he had left. "...What a bizarre time setup." From a supernatural perspective, Lord of the Mysteries was undoubtedly a higher-tier world compared to Harry Potter. Yet for some reason, time in the former was the one being frozen, while the latter continued to progress. Shouldn't it be much harder to freeze a higher world? Then again, if Lord of the Mysteries was frozen in time, did that mean he didn't have to worry about certain entities—like the Primordial One—following him into this world? Wait. Forced transmigration? Does that mean I'll never be able to escape that dangerous world?! Edward glanced at the clock on the wall: 5:00 PM. That meant that exactly 15 days from now, at 5:00 PM, he would be sent back to Lord of the Mysteries. "...And the memories I erased—it's still too soon to restore them. Otherwise, every time I go back, I'll have to hit myself with a Memory Charm again. I don't want to end up like Bertha Jorkins…But facing the Lord of the Mysteries world with missing memories? Who knows what kind of fatal mistakes I'll make?" "No, I'll have to take some time to recover them and write down key survival notes…Just in case." As he was thinking, his body suddenly started growing taller. The well-fitted dress he wore tightened, narrowing at the seams. With his increasing height and broader frame, the fabric strained before finally tearing apart. The Polyjuice Potion had worn off. The small leather pouch hidden against his body slipped off and landed on the floor. "Wait—Audrey is inside the pouch!" "Did she…come with me?!" Edward quickly grabbed the pouch and peered inside. His gaze immediately landed on a black book resting in someone's hands. On a nearby sofa, Audrey Hall sat asleep, her head tilted slightly to the side. "She actually came with me?!" Edward blurted out in shock. Audrey was instantly woken up by his voice. She lifted her head, looked at him, and blinked in confusion. "Huh? You've changed back? Can I come out now?" Edward hesitated. "...I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?" Audrey resisted the urge to puff out her cheeks in frustration and instead pursed her lips. "Mr. Beyonder, are you joking with me again?" "Uh…How about you come out first?" He took a few steps back, giving Audrey space as she struggled her way out of the pouch. Once she was fully out, Edward gestured around them. "The bad news is…you're no longer in Backlund." Audrey's eyes widened slightly. Edward then placed a hand over his chest and gave a slight bow, like a proper gentleman. "The good news is—" "Welcome to Hogwarts."