As a streak of golden light flashed past, it felt as though something had hooked onto his navel, his whole body dragged along helplessly—a strange, indescribable sensation, and deeply uncomfortable...
He had no idea how much time passed before the golden light finally faded. Jon Hart struggled to open his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the phoenix in front of him, head held high in proud defiance.
"You definitely did that on purpose," Jon muttered, rubbing his stomach. None of the times he'd traveled through space with Fawkes before had ever felt this awful. Clearly this stupid bird was holding a grudge and had decided to make him suffer.
Fawkes didn't respond. She simply lifted her head even higher, pretending nothing had happened.
"Don't expect me to feed you anymore," Jon said casually.
Fawkes' expression changed at once. She hurried over to him, pressing her long beak against his calf in a fawning nudge.
Jon snorted, bent down, and untied the rope around Fawkes' beak. He had promised, after all—and he wasn't the type to go back on his word.
Newly freed, the phoenix shot excitedly into the sky, as if about to burst into song...
Jon quickly grabbed her out of the air with one hand and clamped the other over her beak.
"Heavens, can't you be a bit more low-key? We're in a Muggle town. Didn't Dumbledore teach you the Statute of Secrecy?" Jon scolded.
The phoenix drooped her head in wounded silence and gave a small nod.
But a few Muggles already seemed to have noticed something odd...
...
"Oh, my God!" An elderly man in pajamas, holding a birdcage as if he'd just come out for a stroll, walked over, staring in amazement. "Young man, what kind of bird is that? It's beautiful!"
His gaze was fixed entirely on Fawkes; he didn't even notice that the parrot in his own cage had shrunk into a corner, shaking like a leaf.
"Uh... just a turkey," Jon said, turning slightly away as he answered offhandedly.
"A bright red turkey... with golden feathers?" The old man looked thoroughly baffled.
"A genetically modified turkey. New breed. Very delicious meat..." Jon forced the explanation out, then quickly changed the subject. "By the way, sir... do you know where there's an elk statue in town?"
"Oh, that statue's at the very south end of Paisley. Just follow this road for about five hundred yards..." the old man replied.
"Alright, thank you!"
Leaving those words behind, Jon and his strange "turkey" were gone before the old man could even react.
"Young people these days are really odd," the old man muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Aren't they, Merlin?"
Normally, the parrot called Merlin would have mimicked him right on cue: "Young people these days are really odd!"
But now, there was only silence.
"...Merlin?" The old man bent down, calling the parrot's name loudly. "Oh God, what's wrong with you?"
The poor parrot had fainted dead away inside the cage.
...
In one hand, Jon carried his suitcase; with the other, he held Fawkes pressed under his black cloak to keep her out of sight.
He walked carefully along the small streets of Paisley, but even so, his long black cloak and suspicious movements drew more than a few curious looks from passing Muggles.
Fortunately, Fawkes behaved herself, staying still beneath his robes. If she'd started struggling, things could have gone much worse.
Luckily, it wasn't far. After a few minutes, Jon could already see a very conspicuous statue ahead.
And beneath the statue, a girl was waiting, looking slightly anxious.
Astoria Greengrass was wearing that same pure white dress again.
Two Muggle boys nearby were trying to chat her up, but they slunk away shortly afterward, looking dejected as they headed off.
Jon instinctively quickened his pace and walked toward her.
The girl under the statue spotted him too. A smile bloomed across her face as she waved at him.
Her complexion looked even paler than usual—though that might just have been makeup...
"You're very punctual," Astoria said with a smile.
"I actually got here ten minutes early... How long have you been waiting?" Jon replied, smiling back.
"Not long..." Astoria shook her head. Then her smile slowly faded, and her voice dropped. "Do we... really have to go see my mother?"
"Of course," Jon nodded. "Since I've already come all this way..."
"Alright." Astoria lowered her head slightly, then held out her hand to him. "Take my hand, Jon."
Jon tucked Fawkes under his arm, then reached out and gripped Astoria's hand tightly. Her palm was slick and damp, as though she'd been sweating a lot—
She bent down and gently stroked the eyes of the elk statue, murmuring softly:
"For All Seasons."
In the next instant, the two of them—and one phoenix—vanished from in front of the statue.
The Muggles walking past didn't seem to notice a thing, including the two boys still sulking over their failed attempt at flirting.
...
They didn't seem to have moved at all, and yet the Muggle town around them was gone.
In its place stretched a carpet of vivid green grass.
"That thing you said just now—was it a password?" Jon asked curiously.
"More or less," Astoria nodded. "Using it, you can visit Greengrass Manor—and the household gets notified as well... So my mother should already know you're here."
Fawkes wriggled free of Jon's hold, shot him a disgruntled look, then beat her wings and took to the air.
"Ah..." Astoria glanced up at her in surprise. "Is that... the phoenix?"
"Yeah," Jon nodded.
"She looks a size smaller than last time... and somehow still a bit chubby..."
"Well... that's a long story."
"Should we get her something to eat?" Astoria asked earnestly.
The phoenix in the sky clearly heard that; she swooped back down at once, gazing at Jon and Astoria with shining, expectant eyes.
"No need... she already ate her fill this morning," Jon said.
"Alright then... Jon, come with me." Astoria nodded.
Still holding his hand, she walked on tiptoe across the meadow.
The grass grew in a neat, even layer, just brushing above their ankles, soft blades sliding over their feet and calves with a pleasantly cool touch.
...
Hand in hand, the two of them crossed the grass toward the distant manor.
Behind them, a phoenix followed, flying low with her head hanging in dejection.