Knights at Doorstep
From the driver's seat of the large military Hummer, Luther caught sight of the two children he had met earlier at the Leaky Cauldron. The moment the boys recognized the vehicle, they bolted toward the house at full speed, leaving the men inside the car exchanging mildly confused looks.
"Well… maybe they didn't see us," said Arthur, leaning forward from the back seat.
Adrien, seated in the passenger seat, scanned the surroundings. As soon as he understood what was happening, he smiled naturally, as if everything had suddenly clicked into place. Without another thought, he opened the door and stepped out.
The instant his shoes touched the pavement, the bystanders who had gathered amidst the chaos —caused by the Dursleys— gasped in admiration. Adrien was a handsome man, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit. The imposing Hummer and his almost noble bearing reinforced the impression that he belonged to a high rank in the army. Several neighbors stared at him with starry eyes, some even blushing faintly.
Adrien, however, paid no attention to any of it. He walked straight toward Sally Jackson's house.
Meanwhile, Petunia, who was clumsily trying to pull Vernon up from the ground, froze the moment she saw Adrien appear. Her jaw dropped so wide one might think a swarm of insects could fly in. She accidentally let go of her husband, who promptly collapsed back down onto poor Marge —already passed out from pain and lack of oxygen.
The dog still clung fiercely to Vernon's calf, while he shouted desperately at his wife to help him.
Adrien, irritated by the commotion, turned his gaze toward them.
"Luther."
With that single word, the big man understood. Before Vernon could react, he felt a hand grab the back of his neck and lift him effortlessly into the air. Because of the pain in his leg, he fell back onto the grass with a thud, but at least the noise died down.
Luther studied them for a moment, as though he were looking at the strangest family he had ever encountered. And that was saying something, considering that as knights they often came across things bordering on the magical.
He then glanced toward the fainted woman. At a glance he could tell she was fine —just unconscious from lack of air. With Vernon removed from on top of her, she could now breathe normally again. As a knight, Luther knew his duty was to protect and aid civilians… but if giving that woman mouth-to-mouth resuscitation had been required, he would rather accept punishment. Luckily, it wasn't necessary. He simply pulled out his phone and began dialing for an ambulance.
Adrien reached the front door of the house. He straightened his jacket calmly and knocked with his knuckles.
At the very first knock, the door swung open. Adrien was taken aback for a moment, though he reasoned the boys must have run inside to fetch an adult.
The woman who appeared left him momentarily speechless. She was a redhead with a sculpted figure, her beauty commanding attention effortlessly. She wore a modest bikini, partially covered by a light black cover-up.
But Adrien didn't linger on her charms. His instincts flared instantly: this woman was dangerous. Extremely dangerous. His hand moved reflexively toward his waist, searching for a sword that wasn't there. After all, it would have been terribly rude to visit someone's home carrying a weapon in plain sight.
Mor studied him with curiosity. A mischievous smile curved her lips as she leaned against the doorframe.
"What do you want?" she asked. Her dangerous aura vanished in an instant, as if it had never been there at all.
Adrien, still tense, cleared his throat to compose himself.
"I apologize for the discourtesy of arriving at your home unannounced. But I have business with Miss Sally Jackson." His tone was respectful, though he couldn't shake the odd feeling this woman gave him.
From behind the nearby sofa, two little heads timidly peeked out. Harry and Percy quickly recognized him.
"Ah, it's the knight guy!" Percy exclaimed with delight.
"Wow, you're right," Harry added, and both stepped out of hiding to greet him.
"We thought it was the military coming for us," Percy admitted with a relieved sigh.
Luther and Arthur walked up behind Adrien, raising a hand in a friendly wave.
"Well, technically we are military. Were you two misbehaving?" Luther asked with a smile.
"No," both boys replied in unison, shaking their heads quickly. But it was obvious they were lying, and the knights noticed it right away. After all, right there for everyone to see, the family next door was in complete chaos. Luther even recalled that when he had lifted Vernon, a paving stone turned slippery, and the enchantment covering it had dissipated under his presence.
Arthur, meanwhile, was utterly frozen, mouth hanging open as he stared at Mor. It seemed that a single look from her had completely bewitched him.
Mor examined the three of them for a few seconds, narrowing her eyes with a hint of annoyance.
"You three look far too much like some idiots I knew in the past. Very, very much alike."
The knights glanced at each other, confused, ready to ask what she meant by those words. But before any of them could open their mouths, Mor turned and set her gaze on the two children.
"Go call your mother," she said lazily, turning her back on them as she walked toward the backyard. She still had time to rest in the sun, and she fully intended to make the most of it.
Harry and Percy nodded immediately and dashed off in search of Sally, carrying out the order as if it were a vital mission.
The three knights remained silent, trying to process Mor's strange words.
Adrien, in particular, could not shake off the uncomfortable feeling gnawing at him. Before visiting Sally, they had done a quick information search. Nothing. There was no record of that woman anywhere, neither in the magical world nor outside it. Yet the way she looked at them radiated immense power, a dangerous calm, as if they were nothing more than trivial specks in her eyes. And when she said "very, very much alike," for the briefest moment her gaze had revealed contempt… even hatred.
It was then that Sally appeared, walking briskly. The two little ones followed close behind her, as though they had just completed an important task.
"Eh? Did Aunt Mor go back to sleep in the sun again?" asked Harry, noticing she was no longer in the room.
"Yeah, she's been pretty lazy lately," Percy added, shaking his head.
"That's because she stays up very late. Mom says good kids need to go to bed early to grow. But I heard Aunt Mor making noise really late at night," Harry said seriously.
Percy looked at him with a teasing grin.
"So you were awake too. That means you're a bad kid."
Harry's eyes widened.
"Ah, no! But… I only woke up for a moment," he tried to justify himself quickly.
"Ha, ha, ha! Harry's a bad kid," Percy sang in laughter.
"I am not!" Harry protested, his face flushed red.
Luther couldn't help but smile. He was impressed by how quickly those children shifted topics, dragging everyone's attention along with them.
"Kids, go play for a bit," Sally interjected firmly, thinking Adrien's visit must be important if they had come all the way to her house.
"How about I show you our car?" Luther offered with a friendly smile.
"No. Mom said we shouldn't go near strangers' cars," Harry shot back immediately, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at him.
Percy also fixed him with a serious look, as if those words alone had made him an enemy.
"And she's absolutely right," Luther admitted calmly, nodding to both. "So what we should do is get to know each other. How about we do it the way knights become friends?"
That caught the children's attention instantly.
"How do knights become friends?" they asked eagerly, leaning forward.
"Of course, with a battle," Luther replied with a wide smile.
The boys' eyes widened in surprise, though their excitement sparkled even more brightly. They quickly turned toward their mother.
"Eh? A battle? I don't think that would be…" Sally began, intending to refuse.
But Adrien spoke first:
"Don't worry, Miss Jackson. Luther is the godfather of an orphanage near our base. He trains the children there in swordplay as a form of fun."
Sally studied him carefully. Luther, despite his rugged appearance and imposing build, always wore that friendly smile and seemed to connect with children with ease.
"Well… all right, as long as no one gets hurt. You can use the backyard," she agreed at last, stepping aside to let them through. "Go ahead."
"Thank you very much," the three knights replied in unison, bowing their heads respectfully.
As they stepped inside, they couldn't help but scan the living room, their eyes pausing on certain points:
A bookshelf packed with volumes; a painting of an elderly couple whose eyes seemed to follow them with distrust; a corner where, for a second, it felt like an invisible presence was staring intently at them; the large, ornate fireplace, clearly special; and, most of all, an unusual number of toys scattered throughout the house.
Almost everything was for the children. There was hardly anything that belonged to Sally herself. It gave the impression that she poured all her attention into her sons, keeping nothing back for herself.
Adrien noticed the detail immediately. His eyes settled on the woman, and several thoughts crossed his mind in an instant, as if by merely observing the environment he could understand something deeper about her personality.
Harry and Percy, thrilled, immediately grabbed Luther's hand and pulled him toward the backyard, eager for the promised battle. Meanwhile, Adrien prepared to speak properly with Sally.