"Audrey is our new Seeker!"
"Audrey joined our Quidditch team!"
The news spread like wildfire among the Slytherin students. Soon, students with friends—or romances—in other houses carried the gossip throughout the castle.
…
Neville Longbottom had once again forgotten the password to the Gryffindor common room and was stopped outside by the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Poor child… forgot the password again?"
Neville shrank his head in embarrassment.
The Fat Lady asked, "I heard that Audrey Astley, the one with such a beautiful voice, has become Slytherin's Seeker?"
Neville nodded repeatedly. "She's incredible. When I heard this, I couldn't believe my ears."
The Fat Lady shook her head, fanning herself as if the breeze could really flow from the painting.
"That child is wasting her talent! Such a gifted singer, and she's bothering with other messy things… Quidditch, a rough sport, cannot compare to elegant singing!"
She hid her face behind the fan, secretly glancing at Neville. "If I were to sing Carmen with Astley, who do you think would sing better?"
Neville froze. Isn't the answer obvious? Audrey, of course.
But a rare spark of cleverness struck him—if he claimed the Fat Lady sang better, she might let him in!
"You, the Fat Lady, sing better!"
"Oh my, such an honest child. But you didn't say the password, so I can't let you in," she said with a smile. "I love singing Carmen the most!"
Seeing Neville remain stoic, the Fat Lady sighed. "What do I love singing again?"
"C-Carmen?"
"Correct! Come in, child!"
Neville: …
…
…
It was Saturday morning, breakfast time.
Audrey had received notice from Snape the day before that she had to attend breakfast in the Great Hall this morning.
Confused, she didn't expect to experience the same treatment Harry once did in the original story.
Six long-eared owls carried a long package, circling down to land on Audrey's table.
Audrey frowned and waved her hand, sending her breakfast floating away to give the owls room—she didn't want feathers in her soy milk or mysterious yellow-and-white stains on her zongzi.
Ethellyn asked curiously, "Audrey, you usually don't get many letters. Now there's a whole flock. Open it and let me see!"
What could it be? A broomstick from Snape, of course.
For her, it didn't matter what broom it was—any ordinary broom would be enough to bewilder the other students.
Judging by Snape's expression, it was probably a top-of-the-line model; why expect more?
Audrey waved dismissively. "You open it first. I'll eat."
Breakfast floated back to the table as Audrey resumed eating.
Ethellyn brought the package in front of her and unwrapped layer after layer, revealing a flying broomstick.
"Wow, a flying broom! Pretty nice-looking," Ethellyn said, holding it up. "This must have cost a lot!"
"Comet 2000!"
Ethellyn didn't know much about brooms, but Draco, sitting across the long table, immediately recognized it—the Comet 2000 he'd been dreaming of.
"Comet 2000?"
"It's the Comet 2000!"
"Audrey's broom is a Comet 2000!"
The Slytherins swarmed over. Draco's eyes widened, unable to look away. "Cousin… Audrey…"
Audrey rolled her eyes. "Call me Senior Astley!"
"…Senior Astley," Draco said. "Can I… see the broom?"
Audrey shrugged. "It's just a broom. If you want, you can ride it a couple of times. Just don't break it."
She drank the last sip of soy milk, elegantly wiping her mouth.
Audrey returned to her dormitory, still surprised that Snape had been so generous, buying her one of the finest brooms available. That proud, tsundere old man!
Audrey shook her head and asked Ethellyn, "Shall we play wizard's chess?"
"No, Audrey," Ethellyn said evasively. "I don't have your class exemptions—my homework is piling up! Who wants to get beaten all the time?"
She silently resolved that until she found a new source of fun, she wouldn't go to Audrey's dorm again.
…
…
Alan Ashe shut himself in his room.
His father, Elvin Ashe, was a smuggler, rarely home. His marriage to Alan's mother was purely to connect with the Gray and Lestrange families. Alan was just a byproduct of passion. With the Gray family now ruined, Elvin cared even less about Alan's life.
Alan lay on his bed, eyes blank.
His room was a mess. Clothes thrown on the desk, books scattered across the floor.
He seethed with resentment but didn't know whom to take revenge on.
Bode Gray? Already captured by the Ministry.
Audrey Astley? She had no quarrel with him. He had brought people into Hogwarts intending harm, yet Audrey was innocent.
Dumbledore? Well… he was caught leading people, but revenge? Alan shook his head, dismissing the thought.
"Are you feeling resentment?"
A hoarse female voice sounded outside the door.
"Who? Who's there?"
Alan sprang up.
"Excuse me," the voice said as the door opened, "Hello, Alan Ashe."
A female elf entered, far more elegant than the male goblins of Gringotts. Small but proportioned well, smooth slightly greenish skin, striking red hair.
"My name is Thetis. As you can see, I'm an elf."
Alan gripped his wand, voice trembling. Though wizards often looked down on elves, their magical ability was formidable. A student drop-out like him stood no chance against her.
"You broke into my house. What do you want?"
Thetis gracefully waved her hand, bringing the chair near the desk in front of her.
She sat elegantly, smiling at Alan, her eyes sparkling as if she could see through him.
"You must be angry right now, huh?"
"You must be in pain, huh?"
"Alan Ashe, I can see that you're confused—you don't know why you ended up here?"
Alan froze—this elf could understand him!
Thetis continued, "Let me tell you why. You've ended up like this because you have no power!"
She extended her hand, clenching it as if talking to herself. "Yes, power!"
"Because you have no power, you're at others' mercy. Because you have no power, you can't resist injustice. And because you have no power, you can't earn respect!"
Her voice hypnotic: "Follow me, and I will give you power. Together, we will overthrow this world's injustices!"
Alan was tempted but retained his reason. "Why… why me?"
Thetis smiled. "Because of Audrey Astley."
Audrey Astley again?
Until now, he had only acted passively, following elders' instructions. Bode Gray had never told Alan about Audrey or ancient magic; he was a disposable pawn.
But now, he didn't want to be a pawn anymore.
"I don't understand," Alan said. "What does Astley have to do with power?"
"Patience, Alan," Thetis smiled. "We are different from Bode Gray. I will tell you everything."
She took out a metal sphere covered in runes, squeezing it hard. Tiny silver particles emerged, assembling into images in the air.
Blowing away the wind;
Burning flames;
Freezing ice;
Tearing lightning;
With gestures, the sky changed color, storms swirled; with steps, the earth revived, blooming with life.
"See this, Alan?" Thetis said. "This is true magic! Irresistible power! This is the force that will help us overthrow all injustice!"
"This… is ancient magic!"
Thetis's expression softened. "We elves see you as an ally. We will not hide anything."
Her words stirred a rare loyalty in Alan—not because of eloquence, but because Bode's methods had been so crude.
"According to our ancestors, the key to exploring ancient magic is someone like Audrey Astley. Control Audrey Astley, and we control ancient magic!"
Alan stared at the ever-shifting silver particles, murmuring, "Ancient magic?"
"For power, for justice, Alan Ashe—will you join us?"
Background: Elves helped guardians of ancient magic construct secret vaults and seal powers in elf-forged metals. To elves, anything they forge belongs to them. They consider themselves equal to wizards, but wizards disagree, leading to historical elf rebellions. A century ago, an elf named Lanrock tried to seize ancient magic but was stopped by an unmentioned hero—the protagonist of Hogwarts' Legacy, who ruthlessly reshaped the school's history.