Alexis’s flight landed around seven in the evening. She was practically bouncing with excitement as she entered the arrival hall, eager to reunite with Scarlet after weeks apart during the summer break. Her suitcase – an oversized, unwieldy thing – was stuffed with souvenirs she had painstakingly picked out for her friends at Hogwarts, making it difficult for her to manoeuvre.

The moment she spotted Scarlet, Alexis raised her hand and waved cheerfully. “Scarlet!”

Scarlet returned the wave, but Alexis quickly noticed her sensei’s unusually stern expression.

As Alexis approached, her excitement turned to uncertainty. Had I done something stupid again? She quickly ran through the past few weeks in her mind, trying to pinpoint anything that might have upset Scarlet, and was pretty sure it wasn’t her problem. Finally, she asked tentatively, “Scarlet? Is everything okay?”

“Not really,” Scarlet said, giving Alexis a light pat on the shoulder. She gestured to the tall, good-looking man standing beside her. “This is my dad. I’ll leave you to him.”

“...huh?” Alexis blinked in confusion.

Scarlet’s voice dropped into a tense tone. “Peter Pettigrew escaped from Azkaban.”

“What?!” Alexis gasped, the quickly clamped a hand over her mouth to avoid drawing attention. “But how?”

“I don’t know,” Scarlet replied, her brows furrowing. “I need to get back as soon as possible.”

“But--”

“I placed a mark on Pettigrew before he was sent to Azkaban. I might be able to locate him.” Scarlet cut her off, her mind clearly already spinning with plans for when she arrived back in London.

“...okay.” Alexis stared at her friend, slightly dazed. Right, I forgot I’m dealing with a female version of Batman who always has a backup plan, she mused. “So...”

Meiko approached before Alexis could ask anything else. The head housekeeper practically rushed to Scarlet’s side, carrying a tiny suitcase and looking unusually flustered. Her typical immaculate outfit was slightly dishevelled, clearly in a hurry. “Milady, everything’s ready,” she said, slightly out of breath.

“Good.” Scarlet nodded in approval before turning back to Alexis. “Now, I trust you can take care of yourself. If you need anything, my dad will handle it. Or you can talk to my cousins - they all speak English. Remember, my house is in Kyoto, Kanka-tei. If you get lost, look for Fūei Sansō. It’s a mountain resort full of maple trees.”

Alexis, sensing the urgency of the situation, listened carefully and nodded.

Scarlet let out a brief sigh. “I’ve got a flight to catch. See you soon. Oh - where’s your school shopping list sent to? ”

“Your house. I registered it as my mailing address since I don’t have anywhere to stay in the UK,” Alexis explained. “I was planning to go school shopping with you, actually.”

“Got it.” Scarlet gave a quick nod and waved dismissively as she hurried off.

Alexis watched Scarlet sprint toward the departure hall, with Meiko trailing closely behind. She stood there for a moment, processing the situation, before slowly realising the gravity of her predicament. She was alone in a foreign country, left in the care of a man – a very good-looking man – with a staff member who was clearly his assistant.

Alexis turned to the man, who smiled gently down at her. Oh boy. This is going to be very interesting, she mused.

“Um...” Alexis hesitated, wracking her brain to recall everything she knew about Japanese etiquette from her anime-watching and lightnovel-reading days in her previous life. Finally, she settled on what she thought was appropriate and bowed deeply, trying her best to mimic a traditional Japanese greeting. “Kyle-ojisan, gokigen'yō.”

Since she and Scarlet were peers, Alexis thought it is wise to follow suit. Even though, in her eyes, Scarlet’s dad looked far too young to be called “ojisan” (uncle), it seemed like the proper thing to do. As for the greetings, Alexis figured that members of prestigious families would likely used formal expressions. “Gokigen'yō” seemed like the fanciest one she could muster.

When she straightened up, she puffed out her chest proudly, grinning at Kyle as though she’d nailed the greeting.

“...” Kyle stared at her for a moment, clearly stunned, before smirking. “Now I understand why Scarlet gives me that look whenever she talks about you.”

“Huh?” Alexis blinked, confused.

“I’m too young to be called ‘uncle’. ‘Kyle-san’ will do.”

“Oh.” Alexis felt her face flush in embarrassment. Great. I’ve done something stupid again. Wryly, she mused over her mistake while quickly following Kyle’s lead.

“Have you booked your flight back to London yet?” Kyle asked as he began walking toward the ticket counter.

“Not yet.” Alexis admitted, only now noticing their destination.

“Did you plan to arrive early, or just in time to board the train?”

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Two days earlier, I need to go for school shopping.”

“Do you have a place to stay while you wait?”

“I was planning to book a hotel.”

“You could stay at the Red House,” Kyle suggested, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at her with a smirk. “Scarlet would be delighted to see you there.”

“Really? Thanks, Kyle-san!” Alexis beamed at him.

“In return,” Kyle added, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he watched her practically bounce with excitement, “I’d like to have a little chat with you. Is that fine?”

“Sure!” Alexis agreed readily, her bright eyes sparkling. “You must be curious about Scarlet’s school days. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you everything!”

“Great.” Kyle nodded, his smile calm and gentle.

What Alexis didn’t notice, however, was the regretful glance from Kyle’s assistant, who was following a few steps behind. The man had hoped that Alexis might avoid being pulled into the corporation as a potential workforce, but it seemed inevitable now. Ojousama had once commented that this friend of hers was “incredibly creative in many ways, capable of inspiring new ideas or even industries.” Since then, Young Master Kyle had been particularly interested in inviting Alexis to their company for further exploration...

Meanwhile, after a long flight, Scarlet finally arrived on London. She was picked up by William, who had brought her an urgent message from Alexis.

“Ms. Everhart asked me to remind you to handle the remains of the late Mr. Riddle,” William reported as he drove toward the Red House. “She mentioned that the bones could be used for some sort of ritual, which might worsen the situation if they fall into the prisoner’s hands. I gather she called shortly after Milady departed from the airport...It must be something urgent for her to call so soon after her arrival.”

Scarlet’s brows furrowed as she processed the information. She nodded after a moment. “Yes, that’s urgent. Is Professor Dumbledore at the Red House, or is he away searching for the escapee?”

“Professor Dumbledore isn’t around, but Mr. Black is here. The professor assigned him to look after you,” William replied in a firm tone. “Milady, I understand your concerns about the prisoner. However, I must remind you that your safety is the top priority.”

“I’ll bear that in mind.” Scarlet glanced out of the car window as she said with a sigh. “But don’t worry – I’m just trying to see if I can locate him. Honestly, I doubt it’s possible, even with the Queen’s mark. He’s too far away for me to sense his presence. And by the time I reach the location, he’ll likely have moved again. He’s been on the loose for nearly a day - a day is plenty of time for a rat to hide anywhere. But still, I need to try.”

When they reached the Red House, Scarlet immediately spotted Black pacing in the living room. He looked frustrated, his irritation clearly from his clenched fists and the sharpness in his expression.

“Scarlet!” Black greeted the red-haired girl with a warning tone, his frustration bubbling over. “Dumbledore suspects Pettigrew might come after you for revenge - since you’re the one who turned him in to the Ministry. You shouldn’t have come back so soon! I thought William’s call was meant to keep you away from London for as long as possible!”

“Mr. Black, calm down.” Scarlet raised a hand and tapped his arm. Noticing his simmering emotions, she muttered a soft incantation under her breath. Black felt a refreshing breeze sweep through his mind, soothing his anger and frustration.

He blinked, his shoulders relaxing as the tension eased. He turned to Scarlet with a more rational mind. “Better now?” Scarlet asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes.” Black took a deep breath, running a hand through his hair. “But why did you come back? A clever girl like you should know how dangerous it is to stay here right now.”

“Because I might be able to locate him before he finds me.” Scarlet’s tone was firm as she cut him off. “Mr. Black, I need you to inform Professor Dumbledore immediately. Tell him I require his help to destroy the remains of a certain deceased individual.”

Black frowned, confusion flashing across his face. “Whose remains?”

“Tom Marvolo Riddle’s father,” Scarlet replied, her voice steady.

“And why do they need to be destroyed?”

Scarlet hesitated briefly, her expression unreadable. “I’m not sure if Professor Dumbledore would want you to know the full details. What I can tell you is this: the remains could be used for necromancy, and destroying them will save us from a series of potential disasters.”

Black stared at Scarlet for a long moment, as though trying to read her thoughts. Finally, he pulled out his wand and raised it.

“Expecto Patronum.”

A silvery mist burst from the tip of his wand, forming into the shape of a large, shaggy dog. The animal bounded playfully around Sirius before leaping into the air and disappearing into the night sky.

Scarlet observed the spell with mild curiosity, recognising it as the famous Petronus Charm from the entire Harry Potter series, which she had read about in Alexis’s reports. The blonde had meticulously catalogued the Petronus animals of every character mentioned in the original story and even speculated on those that were never revealed. Scarlet, however, couldn’t quite understand why Alexis was so fixated on this detail.

The Petronus Charm’s purpose was to repel Dementors, wasn’t it? And, letting others know your Petronus animal seemed like it might expose vulnerabilities – enemies could analyse its traits and use that knowledge again the user. Scarlet shook her head slightly, making a mental node. If she ever needed to cast a Petronus, she’d make sure to keep its form a secret. Some things were better left unknown.

“My Patronus will deliver the message to Professor Dumbledore,” Black said in a serious tone. “Now, you said you could locate Peter Pettigrew. Care to explain in detail?”

“I marked the rat long before I realised that he was Pettigrew,” Scarlet replied, meeting his gaze with unwavering confidence. “And I didn’t remove it even after he was captured.”

Black gasped, impressed by her boldness. A smirk tugged at his lips as he considered Pettigrew’s failure to outsmart a mere girl. “Dumbledore told me about the clever little scheme that led to his capture,” Black said, his tone laced with amusement. “I must say, it’s quite impressive.”

“Thank you,” Scarlet said, allowing herself a brief smile before continuing. “Now, about the mark – I've lost connecting with it because of the distance. To re-establish the link, I need to be closer to him. I know it’s unrealistic to get near Azkaban, but could you take me somewhere along the coastline? Somewhere within range?”

Black studied her intently. “Are you certain this will work?”

“If he’s within my range,” Scarlet said, her mind already calculating the possibilities. “With my current ability, I can sense the mark if it’s within five kilometres.”

Black frowned, his scepticism evident. “And do you realise England’s coastline stretched far beyond five kilometres? What are you planning? To scour the entire coast day and night for a rat? Honestly, I’d bet he’s more likely to have drowned in the sea than made it to shore.”

“Well, at least I tried, and I’ll have no regrets afterward,” Scarlet said with a sigh before turning to Black. “If you’re not taking me there, I’ll go on my own.”

Black stared at her for a long moment before finally shaking his head. “Who said I wasn’t going to help you?” He jerked his chin toward the door. “Come on. We’ll do a quick search and put this to rest. But listen to me – after tonight, no more chasing after Pettigrew. Got it?”

“Understood.” Scarlet replied with a nod.