In a rush to assist the International Confederation of Wizards in tracking Grindelwald's whereabouts, Newt Scamander hurriedly sent Jane Yu through the fireplace.
She found herself once again at 12 Grimmauld Place—the ancestral home of the Black family.
But before she could even step out of the fireplace, she came face-to-face with the shadowy, twisted, crawling Inferius of Regulus Black, almost getting her face bitten.
"Kreacher!" Sirius Black roared, yanking the Inferius away. "What are you doing? Keep an eye on Regulus!"
The moment he saw Jane behind the Inferius, his eyes lit up. He looked like an overexcited dog, his mouth slightly open. If he were in his Animagus form, his ears would have perked up, and his tail would have been wagging furiously.
"Yu, you're back!" he exclaimed, rushing forward to pull her out of the fireplace. In his excitement, he practically forced her to sit on the still-dusty sofa. "Where on earth did that dragon take you? Headmaster Dumbledore sent out search teams, but after all this time, they found nothing—"
His words were cut off by the familiar raspy and unpleasant muttering of Kreacher.
"The house is completely defiled and desecrated—werewolves, Mudbloods, scum, traitors. The stench of the sewers is everywhere, making old Kreacher feel sick—"
Dragging his heavy feet, Kreacher approached, muttering curses as usual. But when he saw Jane, he stopped abruptly, then bowed deeply, almost prostrating himself.
"Honorable Miss Jane! Your presence graces this house with unparalleled splendor!"
With a snap of his fingers, he swiftly sent Regulus back to his room. The speed of the elf's movements was so quick it seemed as though he wasn't old and frail at all.
The next second, he returned, scolding Sirius for letting Jane sit on an uncleaned sofa while inviting her to visit the room he had diligently prepared for her.
"What are you doing, Kreacher?" Sirius shouted angrily. "Why did you let Regulus loose? Letting him crawl around the house?"
But Kreacher didn't even spare him a glance, continuing to mutter loudly enough for everyone to hear about "the mistress's disobedient son" and "traitor" as he headed toward the kitchen, seemingly to prepare a meal for Jane.
Hearing the commotion, people scattered throughout the house came rushing downstairs, exclaiming as they gathered around. Jane looked around and found Lupin, Moody, Mrs. Weasley, Fred and George, Ginny, Ron, Hermione... all gathered together, along with some wizards she didn't recognize.
Why was everyone gathered here?
Before she could think further, Mrs. Weasley enveloped her in a tight hug.
"Oh, Yu, Merlin's beard—" Mrs. Weasley wiped the tears of excitement from her eyes. "You're finally back—what a brave child—you've suffered so much!"
"Mm—mm—" Jane struggled, barely able to breathe as her nose was pressed against Mrs. Weasley's embrace, her face turning red.
"Mom, we told you Yu would be fine!" Fred and George grinned as they pried the two apart, rescuing Jane from being smothered. "That dragon must have been tamed by her. I bet she became a dragon rider and went on an overseas adventure!"
Jane stared at them in shock.
When did they awaken the gift of prophecy?
"If you can't say anything sensible, just keep quiet! Do you know what Yu has been through? Braving the elements, traveling day and night! In unfamiliar countries and environments! And in the Muggle world, no less!" Mrs. Weasley shouted. "Look at you two, comfortably staying at home, enjoying the delicious meals I cook for you, and you haven't even finished modifying those Filibuster Fireworks! Even if you plan to open a shop, you should set some goals for yourselves! You're as lazy as two sloths!"
Fred and George, scolded into slothhood, shrank their necks and scurried back to their room before Mrs. Weasley could transform into a fire-breathing dragon.
Everyone surrounded Jane, bombarding her with questions about her recent experiences and whereabouts. She had no choice but to slowly recount her long journey—riding a dragon across the English Channel, accidentally injuring someone and having to care for him, living in a Muggle town, flying to Romania to deliver the dragon, then heading to Beauxbatons in France, and finally returning here.
Not wanting to end up in Azkaban, she decided to bury the fact that Grindelwald had escaped because of her in the deepest corner of her heart, never to tell a soul.
"See? I knew she must have gone on an overseas adventure!" Fred and George applauded, and a group of starry-eyed young wizards exclaimed in admiration.
"How lucky!" Ron said enviously. "I wish I could have such an exciting experience!"
"Give it a rest, Ron! If you can survive a second in a dragon's mouth, I'll admit defeat!" Ginny quickly shot down her brother, while Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Well done!" Moody bellowed, his paranoia seemingly lessened over time. He patted Jane's shoulder vigorously. "I guessed you might have gone to Europe! We searched every inch of Britain and couldn't find you!"
Jane felt utterly exhausted, her plans completely ruined, leaving her unable to muster any semblance of a smile.
She found it hard to believe that the duck, cooked and ready to eat, had flown away even after she had taken a bite—it had wings and flew off!
Perhaps this was her cursed fate with Hogwarts—an unbreakable entanglement.
Gilderoy Lockhart truly hadn't worked hard enough.
Kreacher, moving with astonishing speed, steamed, roasted, fried, and boiled ten dishes and a soup, placing them in front of her. He accurately noticed the fatigue on her face.
So, in a series of "accidents," he spat on Lupin's robes, spilled soup on Moody, and dumped spaghetti on Ron's head. Muttering to himself as he went upstairs to fetch cleaning tools, he "accidentally" let the Inferius Regulus loose again.
Regulus crawled, his pale limbs tangling with Ron, forcing the poor red-haired boy and his nearby Ginny and Hermione into a tug-of-war with the Inferius, all while trying not to harm its body.
The living room descended into chaos.
Amid the shouts of "Kreacher" in anger, Jane finally managed to take a few bites of her meal and cast a grateful glance at the house-elf.
Receiving her approval, Kreacher's steps quickened, and he disappeared from the living room, hiding his achievements and fame.
But as Jane surveyed the living room, she suddenly realized—
Where was her guardian?
Why hadn't he appeared after so long?
So, love does disappear, doesn't it?
And what about Harry Potter, the student Dumbledore now cherished most—
Why wasn't he here either?
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