Upon hearing that Dumbledore had given Adelaide a precious gift, Gellert couldn't help but feel a sense of competitiveness welling up in his heart.
He was unwilling to be left behind, so he carefully selected a unique treasure to give to Adelaide—a dazzling sapphire ring, which also bore a striking gold-stamped letter 'G'.
An Extension Charm had been cast on the ring, and when placed on Adelaide's left middle finger, the size was just right.
"Dear Adelaide, this is no ordinary ring; it is actually a very special Portkey. As long as you gently think of it in your heart, it can instantly transport you to the Secret Base—an open area of about 1 square kilometer located in the uninhabited lands of Iceland."
Seeing Adelaide's eyes widen in surprise, Gellert said proudly, "Originally, I prepared this place for a certain plan... but after more than forty years, that plan no longer needs it. I have specifically set up multiple powerful Enchantments here. For example, a Temperature-regulating Enchantment to keep the temperature constant, a Muggle-repelling Enchantment to prevent Muggles from approaching, and an Anti-Apparition Enchantment..."
"In other words, to enter this place, one must rely solely on this Portkey. You can conduct various magic experiments here with peace of mind, or store important items that you don't want others to discover."
Adelaide accepted this generous gift with great joy and, after returning home, couldn't wait to try out this miraculous Portkey.
She concentrated her mind and silently thought the words "Warm Little Home" in her heart; then, she felt a tug behind her navel, and her body was already in an unfamiliar environment.
When she looked closely, she found herself standing on a flat piece of land surrounded by four towering snow-capped mountains.
In the very center of this vast, open land stood an exquisite and compact two-story wooden cabin.
Within the entire range of the Enchantment, there was nothing else besides the dark brown fertile soil and this wooden cabin.
After wandering around curiously, Adelaide finally decided to step into this mysterious wooden cabin to investigate.
The wooden cabin actually consisted of three floors, including the upper and lower levels and a Chamber of Secrets located underground.
Entering the first floor, one could see it was divided into several different areas: the spacious and bright living room was furnished with simple yet cozy furniture; the dining room was arranged simply and elegantly, with a wooden dining table and a few chairs looking particularly refined; although the kitchen was not large, it was fully equipped with various cookware; and the bathroom was located in a corner for convenience.
Ascending the stairs to the second floor, she was greeted by four independent rooms, each with its own bathroom; these rooms were empty inside, as if waiting for a master to give them life and vitality.
It is worth mentioning that modern toilets were installed in each bathroom, giving an abrupt yet novel feeling.
However, when she turned her gaze to the basement, an eerie atmosphere hit her.
Several iron chains, as thick as fingers, were tightly wound together, emitting a cold metallic luster; next to the chains sat an incredibly massive bed, its size large enough to leave one jaw-dropped.
Sss~
Adelaide gasped, not daring to think further about what specific plan her Great-Granduncle had mentioned earlier that was "no longer needed."
In short, she must never let Dumbledore know about any of this.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, only one week remained before Adelaide was to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
This meant she was about to completely bid farewell to the Muggle World she had lived in for years and embark on a journey full of fantasy and the unknown.
The house in the Muggle World was now useless to Adelaide as she was about to enter Hogwarts, and the generous Headmaster Dumbledore decided to gift all the property at 13 Oak Road to Edward and Adelaide.
Edward, who had just been promoted to Deputy Captain of the Magical Law Enforcement Investigation Team, didn't seem to have much attachment to the place; he only kept that incredibly cool Aston Martin V8 Vantage sports car, while the rest of the items, along with the house, were sold off.
In contrast, Adelaide appeared to be more detailed and sentimental.
She carefully organized the bits and pieces of her life in the Muggle World, donating those Muggle textbooks that had accompanied her growth, various beautiful clothes, and other miscellaneous trinkets to charitable organizations, hoping to help more people in need.
Her essential luggage for Hogwarts, Haskui's cute cage and plenty of bird food, her favorite comfortable sofa from the living room, the pots and pans from the kitchen, the cozy bed from her room, the empty wardrobe, the practical desk, the soft carpet, and so on, were all carefully transported to the room and dining area she had previously selected in the Secret Base.
After a period of busy work, all the preparations were finally complete; by this time, Adelaide was fully prepared and ready to wave goodbye to the Muggle World at any moment.
Oh, right, she had not yet said goodbye to her close friend, Hermione Granger.
Until this moment, Hermione still naively thought that Adelaide would appear in the middle school classroom as scheduled when school started in September.
Hermione, who was a year younger than her, would have to wait until next year to receive her admission letter from Hogwarts... Thinking of this, a small prank idea sprouted in the mischievous Adelaide's mind.
"Hermione, there's something I want to tell you. I might not be going to middle school next semester."
Adelaide looked at Hermione, whom she had invited to the park, with a solemn expression and spoke slowly.
Hearing this, Hermione's originally relaxed expression instantly froze. She widened her eyes and asked back incredulously, "Not going to middle school? Then where are you going?"
Her voice rose unconsciously, clearly shocked by this sudden news.
"Cheltenham? St. Weston? Or maybe St. Paul's?"
The names Hermione mentioned were all famous local middle schools with excellent teaching quality and faculty.
She had always hoped to enter middle school together with Adelaide and continue being classmates and good friends; if the other party didn't choose direct admission, she would work twice as hard to go to whichever middle school Adelaide was in.
For a moment, the two fell into silence, with only the breeze gently brushing past their cheeks, bringing a hint of chill.
"No, Hermione..." Adelaide's voice trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes (she pinched the inside of her thigh hard); those slightly reddened eyes seemed to speak of endless inner pain and sorrow.
She took a deep breath, trying to stabilize her emotions a bit, and continued, "I have a serious illness. The doctor said I must go to the United States for specialized treatment, and this time the condition is very severe. I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to come back..."
Immediately after, as if using all her strength, she lunged forward and tightly hugged the already petrified Hermione.
"Don't look at how I'm always surrounded like a star at school; in reality, in my heart, you are my best friend!"
Adelaide buried her head on Hermione's shoulder, her body trembling slightly as her sobbing voice came intermittently, "You are the only person at school I can confide my heart to... Now, I have to leave. Perhaps this is our final farewell, Hermione..."
Before she finished speaking, Adelaide resolutely turned around and dashed away into the distance, her pace getting faster and faster as if she wanted to escape this heartbreaking place (in reality, she couldn't keep a straight face and almost laughed out loud).
The house on Oak Road had already been sold, so she wasn't afraid of Hermione coming to the door to verify.
Next, she only needed to wait quietly for their reunion a year later, and then properly enjoy Hermione's surprised and disbelieving expression at that time.
Jie jie jie~
She was so happy to be mischievous~
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