: The End and a New Beginning

Chapter 36: The End and a New Beginning

For Avada, the next few months were practically like a vacation.

Normal classes, normal homework, normal review and exams; aside from a portion of the time spent learning and analyzing knowledge, the rest is spent chatting with friends, relaxing, picnicking, tea parties...

There are no demon kings lurking on the back of people's heads causing trouble, no basilisks lurking in the sewers staring at people, no Dementors wandering the sky, and no one locking their own body into a Horcrux and then seeking help... If there is any life more comfortable than this, it is probably not working after graduation, but lying at home and living a carefree life with twenty Galleons from the Ministry of Magic every month.

As for the things Professor Baker gave them, Avada and Baron studied them for a while and then left them aside, not planning to touch them for the time being—the crystal ball was still cooling down, they couldn't understand the notes on the "Confession" spell at all, and they had nowhere to spend the five hundred Galleons at the school; they still couldn't go to Hogsmeade...

However, Avada Kedavra carefully examined the sealed giant book and estimated that he could manually break the seal on it around next year.

I wonder what exactly was recorded on it that Professor Baker called "the most fundamental and essential mystery"?

Then came the first-year final exams.

Avada, initially brimming with confidence and believing only Baron could pose a threat to him in the entire grade, had his sights set on the throne of first place. But then… after he had Pear dance a Swan Lake, concocted a perfect potion of forgetfulness, turned a mouse into a snuffbox that might lead to a Disney lawsuit, accurately identified the devil's web hidden in the vines, and remembered that the wizard who invented the self-stirring cauldron was named Guspard Singleton… he got a question wrong in astronomy class.

Thus, Baron and another smart and hardworking Ravenclaw girl shared the top spot in the grade with perfect scores in all subjects.

However, apart from astronomy, Avada also passed all six of his other exams, so he barely managed to get second place. He was considered one of the more respected figures in the Hufflepuff common room—but still not as good as Cedric, who had been first in their grade for two consecutive years.

In addition, Hufflepuff's eldest sister, Tonks, returned to take the NEWT exam at the end of the semester and successfully obtained five certificates, officially being hired by the Ministry of Magic's Auror Office. To celebrate, the Hufflepuffs set aside an entire day for a grand celebration by the Black Lake, during which all sorts of delicious food and drinks were served, and students from other houses flocked to the party—even many other professors participated at Professor Sprout's invitation.

It is worth mentioning that Baron finally accepted the invitation to the banquet, which made Avada very happy.

Finally, at the end-of-year banquet, thanks to Professor Snape's masterful maneuvering, Slytherin once again won the House Cup with an overwhelming advantage, achieving their sixth consecutive victory. The entire Great Hall was decorated in silver and green, and the cheers of the Slytherin students echoed throughout the school—mainly from the lower-years, as the upperclassmen were already exhausted from winning.

However, Hufflepuff didn't come in last this time, because Tonks officially became the first Auror in four years, and Dumbledore gave her a considerable bonus as a reward. So, the one in last place became Hufflepuff's unfortunate buddy, Gryffindor…

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Anyway, the Savior will start to exert his power next year, so Gryffindor won't lose out.

Speaking of which, with Tonks' return and the rumors circulating among the students, almost everyone in the school knew that the famous savior Harry Potter would be attending Hogwarts next year. Inevitably, everyone's conversations centered around him: where he was living now, which house he would be sorted into, whether his magical abilities had surpassed Dumbledore's, and so on…

Avada hadn't planned to participate in these discussions, at most just to listen to other people's wild ideas and have some fun. But to his surprise, as the topic spread, the professors at the school began to look at him with strange and amused eyes.

At first he was confused, but then it dawned on him: Harry Potter was the first person in history to survive the Avada Kedavra curse, thus earning him the title of "The Boy Who Lived"...

The moment he realized this, Avada was amused and annoyed by the professors' wicked humor—what, did they want him to stage a literal "Avada Kedavra" to legitimize the Killing Curse?

Or is it because there will be big events next year, with so many gossips that it's impossible to finish them all, so they're going to "Avada Kedavra" to devour the biggest gossip?

Besides the Harry Potter incident, there was another thing that surprised the teachers and students of Hogwarts—Professor Benjamin Baker, who had been diligent, capable, knowledgeable, kind, and whose classes were lively and interesting, except for the few months immediately after Christmas, had voluntarily resigned.

The reason announced publicly was that Professor Baker suffered an accident while attempting to break through his limitations and complete his magical transformation, which severely damaged his energy and explained his lethargy throughout January and February. Therefore, he needed to resign from his job to focus on recuperating and strive for a full recovery without any lasting effects.

Avada and Baron, however, knew that Professor Baker was probably dealing with the fragments of his soul (consciousness). They just didn't know how he would ultimately resolve it. Would he create another vessel, or try to complete himself?

……

"Oh, by the way, would you like to come visit me this summer?"

On the Hogwarts Express, which was speeding towards Kingdom Cross Station, Baron, who had just finished discussing Professor Baker's whereabouts with Avada, clapped his hands and looked at Avada with some anticipation.

"Of course, as long as your parents don't object!"

"Don't worry, my family doesn't believe in bloodlines. No one will be prejudiced against you just because you're Muggle. Especially if my dad knew you were second in your grade, he would definitely welcome you over."

"I would be honored—but before that, I would like to go back to the orphanage for a while. My friends there haven't heard from me for a year, and I definitely need to go back and let them know I'm safe."

"Of course, no problem. What's the address of your orphanage? I'll come pick you up."

"It's called Mueller Orphanage, and the address is... By the way, how are you planning to pick me up? This isn't a magical world, so be careful not to break the secrecy law."

"We also have a car. As long as the magic inside isn't activated, it's no different from a regular Muggle vehicle. The driver is a house-elf who can disguise himself exactly like a human..."

"That's good. So, when is the date set?"

"Around mid-August, um... how about August 10th?"

"No problem, thanks for the invitation!"

With a long whistle, the train finally came to a slow stop at Kingdom Cross Station. The platform was already crowded with adult wizards who had come to pick up their children. They were all standing on tiptoe, craning their necks, trying to find their own children in the crowd.

"Next semester, everything is about to begin..."

"Harry Potter, the trio, the Philosopher's Stone, Quirrell, Voldemort..."

After saying goodbye to Baron and leaving the crowded platform, Avada stood on the street, took a deep breath, and then hailed a taxi.

"Go to Muller Orphanage."

(End of this chapter)