A loud crash rang through the room.
Daphne Greengrass's teacup slipped from her hand, hit the floor, and shattered into pieces.
Tea splashed across her skirt, staining her pristine white dress, but she seemed not to notice...
Her eyes were locked on the boy in front of her, on that face both familiar and strange. Her gaze was full of shock and disbelief—
"This can't be!" Daphne murmured.
"I'm very sorry, Miss Greengrass!" Jon could only explain. "But I truly didn't die."
"Over a year ago... after the Triwizard Tournament ended... your body..." Daphne stammered, her face flushing scarlet from sheer shock.
"That was just a plan—Professor Albus Dumbledore's plan..." As Jon habitually shifted the blame onto Dumbledore, Fawkes, who had landed on the floor, lowered her head and gave his calf a discreet peck.
Jon lightly nudged her with his foot, signaling her not to mess around. "It was a plan aimed at the Dark Lord—er, at You-Know-Who. The one who died back then wasn't me, but a Death Eater..."
Daphne Greengrass's expression turned very strange. In a hoarse voice, she asked, "So... that Christopher Patrick..."
"That's right, that was me in disguise," Jon answered honestly.
"You..." Daphne opened her mouth, but no words came out...
Then she turned to her sister. "You knew all along, didn't you?"
"I..." Astoria froze, then gave a small nod. "Sister..."
"You knew he was still alive... and you lied to me..." Daphne pointed at her sister, sounding both angry and hurt. "You were never like this before... You never lied to me..."
"It's not like that... Sister... I'm sorry..." Astoria protested in a panic.
"It is like that! You just wanted to laugh at me. You must have been secretly mocking me behind my back, weren't you?" Daphne's voice trembled and grew hoarse. "When did you become so cruel, Astoria..."
With that, she covered her face and fled.
"Sister..." Astoria hurried after her. "Sister, listen to me, let me explain!"
The two sisters, one after the other, disappeared at the end of the corridor...
Jon stood there, stunned, not quite sure what had just happened.
He glanced back at Fawkes; the Phoenix shook her head at him, just as confused.
And now he was alone, stuck in the drawing room of Greengrass Manor... Roaming about felt impolite, but staying put felt even more awkward.
Jon could only let his gaze wander around the drawing room. Directly opposite him hung a massive oil painting of an elk rearing up on its hind legs toward the sky, reminiscent of the statue in Paisley Town. Below it stood a tall, finely carved white marble fireplace, a blazing fire roaring inside and filling the room with warmth...
Just as Jon was wrestling with what to do, a polite voice suddenly spoke from below.
"Good day, sir!"
Jon nearly jumped. This creature had appeared at his side without a sound. Fawkes immediately spread her wings and took off, watching the source of the voice warily.
It was another house-elf, bearing a certain resemblance to the previous one, "Emily"... the same bat-like ears, the same protruding green eyes the size of tennis balls; but his build was not as skinny, he looked younger, and his attire was much neater.
The house-elf was dressed in a black suit. To show it wasn't a complete "outfit," a few holes had been deliberately burned into it, but that hardly spoiled the effect—he still looked very much like a well-mannered little butler.
He bent down, snapped his fingers at the shattered teacup and spilled tea, and they vanished cleanly from the floor. Only then did he straighten up.
"If I'm not mistaken, you must be Mr. Jon Hart, a friend of Miss Daphne and Miss Astoria!" the young house-elf said, bowing elegantly to Jon. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Hod, the butler of Greengrass Manor."
His voice was deep and steady, not as shrill as that of most house-elves.
"Hello, Mr. Hod!" Jon quickly composed himself, bent down a little, and took the house-elf's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"First, I must apologize for my mother's offensive behavior," the house-elf Hod continued. "Because of her advanced age, her thinking has become rather decayed and extreme, so she may have said some insulting things to you..."
"I accept your apology, Mr. Hod," Jon replied with a calm nod.
"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Hart... and yours as well, adorable bird!" The house-elf bowed deeply to Jon once more, then turned and bowed just as deeply to the Phoenix beside him.
"Daphne and Astoria... seem to have had a quarrel..." Jon explained a bit awkwardly.
House-elf Hod smiled and shook his head at Jon. "Miss Daphne has always been quite impulsive and hot-tempered since childhood, while Miss Astoria has always been timid. Their personalities don't fit together very well... so they've often quarreled over the years, but every time they make up again within half an hour. So you needn't worry!"
"Alright, thank you!" Jon nodded to the house-elf. "Is there anything else, Mr. Hod?"
He didn't believe this "butler" had appeared out of nowhere just to apologize.
"Well... the madam would like to see you," the house-elf said gently, finally stating his purpose. "If you're willing, that is?"
"The Madam?" Jon paused for a moment.
"Mrs. Diana Greengrass—mother of Miss Daphne and Miss Astoria, and mistress of Greengrass Manor..."
"Of course I know who she is..." Jon quickly cut in. "Should I wait for Astoria, and we go see her together?"
"No, no, no." The house-elf shook his head at once, lowering his voice. "The madam wishes to see you alone."
Jon frowned slightly, but soon forced a smile onto his face.
"I'm honored, Mr. Hod. Please, lead the way."
"Certainly, Mr. Hart!" The house-elf made an inviting gesture. "Please follow me!"