Penelope Clearwater, the Ravenclaw prefect, strolled leisurely to the train compartment door. She peered inside and turned to Percy, asking, "Weasley, what do you make of this mess?"
Percy shifted uncomfortably. He had no good answer. All he could do was buy time.
He confiscated the wands of the two masked intruders and bound them with a simple Transfiguration spell.
"Penelope, investigating this incident is really the Aurors' job," Percy said, wracking his brain for an excuse. "Right now, our priority should be securing the scene."
Penelope eyed the rainbow-colored mess on the floor with mild disgust. "Are you sure about that?"
"At least until the Aurors arrive," Percy muttered vaguely. "I've already asked the students here. They know nothing."
George and Fred blinked in astonishment. Percy was actually cooperating with them.
"Yes, Prefect Clearwater," the twins said honestly, omitting only the detail that Audrey had suddenly vanished. "By the time we reacted, these two were already down."
The train staff repaired the broken windows with a restoration charm. One of them said to the prefects, "I've contacted the Ministry through the two-way mirrors. The Aurors will be waiting at Hogsmeade. They'll handle this from there."
"Percy, your idea of 'securing the scene' is unnecessary," the staff continued, glancing at him as if he'd lost his mind. "We're wizards. We have plenty of ways to restore the scene."
"And clean up this… mess before the carriage starts to stink," he added, motioning to the vomit.
Percy: …
The tracks were soon repaired, and the train chugged forward again.
The attempted kidnapping of Audrey had been nothing more than an interlude—and a doomed one at that.
Three Hogwarts graduates trying to abduct a human-shaped fire dragon? It was laughably foolish. Audrey's disguise had been flawless. A Muggle-born pop star with latent magical talent, only awakening at sixteen—how threatening could she really be? Yet here she was, effortlessly handling the situation.
As the Hogwarts Express eased into the station under the dimming sky, Audrey didn't bother changing her clothes. With a mere thought, her outfit morphed into a proper wizard's robe. She stepped off the train and inhaled deeply.
This was Hogwarts—the place she had longed for in her previous life, yet had avoided at all costs for sixteen years. And now… here she was.
"First-year students, this way!"
"Harry! Are you alright? Come over here!"
Hagrid, the towering half-giant Keeper of Keys and Grounds, corralled the first-years. Audrey watched as the Aurors secured the two masked intruders with cuffs made from Mantuari alloy and escorted them from the compartment.
The gleaming cuffs reminded Audrey sharply of Bartemius Crouch. Oh! There was still a score to settle. If only she hadn't been pressed for time over the past two months, she would have delivered a formal report to Minister Fudge herself.
Bartemius had used his dying wife to break his son out of Azkaban. That was prison-breaking! Just one letter to the Ministry, and old Bart would have ended up cellmates with his son.
But Audrey shook the thought away. Too much hassle. She had better things to do—like sleeping in for beauty rest. Besides, old Bart wouldn't survive past 1996 anyway. Let him live a few more years in peace. She was magnanimous that way.
Yet even the magnanimous Audrey Astley faced a dilemma.
Should she follow the first-years through the orientation process—or join older students for the night ride to the castle?
She was lost in thought when a glove suddenly materialized in front of her, as if an invisible hand were offering a greeting.
It pointed toward Hogwarts, tapped three times, and then gestured a handshake.
Audrey hesitated—but remembered seeing Dumbledore perform something similar in Fantastic Beasts. She extended her hand and clasped the glove.
"Shiiish!"
She vanished from the platform. Moments later, she reappeared in a small room beside the Great Hall.
Wow. Familiar faces everywhere. Dumbledore and the four house heads: Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, Miss Astley," Dumbledore said, giving her a playful wink before adopting an aloof tone. "Entering the wizarding world can be confusing. I sympathize with your ordeal today, though such events are rare in our world."
Audrey noticed Kingsley Shacklebolt standing in a corner with several Auror colleagues behind him. The old fox's meaning became clear.
"So," Audrey shrugged, "you're saying nearly getting kidnapped was just… bad luck?"
Dumbledore nodded, smiling. "Essentially. Under the current Ministry leadership, wizarding security is far better than in the past."
Audrey shook her head. "I'm not familiar with the past, Headmaster, since I've lived my life among ordinary people. But it's true I almost got kidnapped! I accepted the invitation to study at Hogwarts, forfeiting millions of pounds in annual income!" The room inhaled sharply. "And your reasoning was that the Ministry strongly desired my attendance here. Am I mistaken?"
Dumbledore shook his head.
"Headmaster, shouldn't… someone from the Ministry explain this? Saying it was just my 'bad luck' is unacceptable."
Dumbledore turned to Kingsley, who nodded. "Miss Astley, we have leads. The attackers belong to a group called the Teeth of Hydrus, a dangerous assassin organization."
Audrey's eyes widened. The Teeth of Hydrus?
Kingsley continued: "Their leader is a wanted dark witch—Hydrus Lestrange. We are pursuing her and expect to bring her to justice soon."
Audrey blinked. Wait… I kidnapped myself?
Dumbledore explained further, hinting through subtle cues that the ruse—pretending the attack came from a dark witch—was a measure to protect her father, Rick Astley, rather than alarm her.
Kingsley confirmed: "Miss Astley, Hogwarts will ensure your safety. Outside, elite Aurors will be assigned to protect you."
Audrey internally groaned. Aurors tailing me? My freedom would be gone. She shot Dumbledore a look of silent panic. The old man stifled a chuckle, finding her expression priceless.
Dumbledore finally said, "I'm more concerned about your father. He is a Muggle and might be targeted by the Teeth of Hydrus."
Kingsley nodded immediately. "Understood. We will ensure Rick Astley's safety, Miss Astley. You can rest easy."
Audrey exhaled, realizing the clever two-step: Dumbledore and Kingsley had orchestrated the performance to protect her father, not just herself. She felt a faint warmth of gratitude.
"Anything more you wish to ask, Miss Astley?" Dumbledore prompted.
"No, Headmaster."
"Very well," he said. "Let's not waste time. The Sorting Ceremony awaits."
The heads of houses followed silently. Today's events didn't concern them directly; Dumbledore merely called them in as support to subtly pressure the Aurors.
As Audrey prepared to leave, Dumbledore called after her: "Miss Astley, after dinner, come to my office. The password is Sizzling Honeycomb."
"But Headmaster, I don't even know where your office is."
"Don't worry. Someone will guide you."