In Room 27 of the Leaky Cauldron, the strange noises that had been coming from inside from time to time seemed to have finally stopped.
Now, the room was quiet.
A snow-white owl was nervously pecking at a piece of dried meat in front of it... At the same time, it kept glancing back in panic at the terrifying ball of flesh behind it.
The rotund phoenix looming behind the owl didn't seem to be in much better shape either.
Because her temporary guardian had come up with a "brilliant" idea...
Jon Hart had taken a length of rope and tied a tight, dead knot around Fawkes's beak. With the tip of the Phoenix's beak curved the way it was, she had no chance of wriggling free.
More importantly, with her beak bound, the phoenix could neither eat nor sing... Killing two birds with one stone—it really was the perfect solution.
Fawkes stared at Jon with a look full of bitter resentment. Unfortunately, with her beak tied shut, she couldn't even let out a pitiful little "kee-kee-kee"... And now that her body had turned into a round ball of flesh, it was very hard to win anyone's sympathy with her appearance alone.
After all, isn't being too fat enough to ruin anything?
In short, Fawkes had already given up on the idea of getting free from the rope around her beak. All she could do was vent her frustration on the owl in front of her. She couldn't make a sound, but the pressure of her presence was still very real...
The poor owl could only eat while huddling there, trembling, because it couldn't leave until Jon sent his reply.
As for the Panda, under Jon's "intimidation," it had long since obediently curled up inside the emerald bamboo wand.
...
Jon was quite satisfied with the peaceful life he had at the moment, especially when he saw the owl and the Phoenix "living together in harmony."
Under the dim light, he opened the letter Jorgrin had brought—undoubtedly sent by its owner.
"Dear Jon,
I've already spoken to my mother, and she would be very happy to have you visit Greengrass Manor, if you're free next Monday.
However, neither my mother nor my sister knows your true identity, or that Jon Hart is actually still alive, so please be a little tactful... I hope I can see you soon...
Greengrass Manor is in Paisley, Renfrewshire, to the southwest of Glasgow... There is a very noticeable elk statue there, and I will meet you by it.
Astoria Greengrass"
As he read the letter, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Jon's mouth.
After taking a few deep breaths, Jon picked up his quill and began writing quickly on a fresh sheet of parchment—
"Dear Astoria,
I am honored to receive your invitation. I am free next Monday and will make every effort to arrive as early as possible; probably before nine in the morning. You can wait for me there at nine o'clock—I imagine it will take me a little time to find that statue.
Jon Hart"
Setting down his quill, Jon tied this "short" letter to Jorglin's leg and opened the window.
The poor owl shot out of the room like a prisoner suddenly pardoned, vanishing into the night sky.
Turning back, Jon glanced at the Phoenix sitting there in silence. He deliberately put on a fierce expression and barked, "Grow your wings before next Monday, you hear me?"
The Phoenix turned her back to him with a disdainful look, pretending she hadn't heard a word.
Jon had no choice but to soften his tone and try again in a bargaining voice. "If you can grow your wings by next Monday... I'll untie the rope on your beak and let you eat to your heart's content!"
Fawkes's eyes suddenly lit up; she seemed to forget all about her dignity, turned back around, and nodded at Jon again and again.
...
Over the weekend that followed, Fawkes, who had stopped eating, began to slim down at a speed visible to the naked eye... As unbelievable as it looked, that was exactly what was happening.
The excess flesh on her body gradually disappeared while her frame grew larger. In just two days, she completely shed her previous "meatball" image and looked almost exactly like the beautiful Phoenix Jon had seen before.
The only differences were that she was still a size smaller, her skin was a bit dark, and her feathers had not yet fully grown in.
During those two days, Fawkes would often cast Jon a mournful look, as if saying, "Look how hard I'm trying—hurry up and untie this rope so I can finally have a proper meal!"
Naturally, Jon had no intention of agreeing. He was worried that once she started eating, she would go straight back to the size she'd been before... At the very least, he had to hold out until Monday.
Jon himself hadn't been idle these days either. He spent his time running up and down Diagon Alley, buying all sorts of things.
Sometimes he would put on a black robe to hide his face, and other times he would use his Transformation Ring to disguise himself...
However, he never considered using Polyjuice Potion. Because of concerns that Death Eaters might abuse it (as they had indeed done during Voldemort's previous rise to power), the Ministry had imposed very strict controls on it, and officers from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement could be seen everywhere in the streets. Jon was worried that using Polyjuice Potion would only make him more suspicious.
In just two days, he had practically walked Diagon Alley from one end to the other, and his suitcase was crammed full. At the same time, the huge bounty he had received from Mrs. Amelia Bones two years earlier had now been completely spent.
Of course, with Fudge out of office, and with Dumbledore and Moody having provided evidence, Sirius Black should already be completely "cleared." That particular way of making money had basically dried up.
Jon was starting to wonder whether he should write to Dumbledore… After all, he more or less counted as one of Dumbledore's own people now. If it was all in the name of wiping out Voldemort and the Death Eaters for good, asking for a bit of funding wasn't too much, was it?
...
On Monday morning, Jon woke up very early.
He went downstairs for breakfast, settled his bill and checked out with Mr. Tom Abbott, then went back up to the room one last time to make sure he hadn't left anything behind...
Once everything was ready, he turned his gaze to Fawkes.
"Can you take me to Paisley in Renfrewshire?" he asked calmly.
Fawkes nodded eagerly, then turned her back to him—
Jon gently grasped her tail feathers, and he vanished from the Leaky Cauldron...