Witcher at Hogwarts

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The elderly wizard shuffled briskly through the pile of papers, his frail demeanor giving way to sharp efficiency.

Within moments, he located the documents for Ethan and Tonks. With a practiced hand, he stamped them and handed them over.

"Here you go, sir and ma'am," he said curtly, his tone polite but clipped.

"Your documents are in order."

As always, money had a knack for greasing the wheels of bureaucracy. Some things never change.

With transit papers in hand, Ethan and Tonks headed toward a large, sturdy chimney in the hall—the international Floo network portal. This magical system, enhanced for cross-border travel, promised a swift departure.

Just as they reached the hearth, a voice called out behind them.

"Wait! Hey, wait!"

Startled, they turned to see a young mermaid girl floating in a nearby fountain. Her sun-kissed complexion and fiery red hair, adorned with shells and seaweed, gleamed under the hall's lights.

She had a round face with a tiny nose and wide, curious eyes that gave her an almost childlike charm.

"Hello, miss," Ethan greeted cautiously, unsure what had drawn her attention.

"Are you a mermaid too?" she asked, her voice bright with wonder.

"How did you get your legs?"

Ethan blinked, taken aback. "Uh, no... I'm human," he replied, puzzled by the question.

The mermaid tilted her head, frowning slightly.

"That's strange. I feel the same energy from you that I do from us!"

Her gaze flitted over him, pausing on the long sword strapped to his back. Her eyes widened.

"Your sword!" she exclaimed, excitement bubbling in her voice.

"Where did you get it?"

Ethan chuckled softly. "A fairy in the lake gifted it to me," he explained.

Her face lit up. "The fairy in the lake? Then you must be a friend of water!" she declared with delight.

"Welcome to mermaid territory! That sword—does it let you breathe underwater?"

"That's not necessary!" Tonks cut in sharply, her tone wary as she eyed the mermaid.

"We're just heading back to England."

The mermaid blinked, seemingly unfazed by Tonks' coolness.

"Alright, then," she said cheerfully, flashing a bright smile.

"But if you return to Poland, you must visit us!"

With a playful flick of her tail, she vanished into the fountain.

Tonks, eager to move on, tugged Ethan toward the fireplace. A staff member nearby stepped forward to inspect their papers with a practiced glance.

"Three Galleons," the wizard said, extending a hand.

Ethan counted out the coins and handed them over. The wizard dropped them into the gaping mouth of a stone frog.

With a satisfying clunk, the frog's mouth opened wide, revealing a bowl of shimmering Floo powder.

The staff member stepped forward, lifting the entire bowl of Floo powder, and tossed it into the fireplace.

The flames flared violently, roaring to life as a massive burst of green fire surged up the chimney. The wild, swirling blaze crackled with untamed energy, filling the room with its emerald glow.

"Make sure to call the British Ministry of Magic as soon as you step into the flames!" the staff member barked sharply.

"State your names clearly! This is ultra-long-distance teleportation—there's no margin for error. A mistake could cost you dearly."

Ethan nodded, his jaw tightening as he steeled himself for the journey. Without hesitation, he stepped into the raging green blaze.

"The British Ministry of Magic!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the roaring inferno.

Instantly, an invisible force gripped him, yanking him upward with a stomach-lurching jolt.

His body spun uncontrollably as icy winds whipped at his face, pulling him through the endless, disorienting tunnel of international Floo travel.

The relentless spinning made time feel elastic, stretching seconds into what seemed like hours.

Ethan clenched his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut to fight the rising wave of nausea. He held on, silently willing the journey to end.

At last, his feet slammed onto solid ground. Dazed and shaky, he opened his eyes to find himself in the familiar atrium of the British Ministry of Magic.

Staggering forward, he barely managed two steps before spotting a spittoon conveniently placed nearby. He bent over and emptied his stomach into it, groaning in discomfort.

The Ministry staff manning the Floo network barely batted an eye, their expressions betraying how common such scenes were.

After a moment to catch his breath, Ethan straightened up, wiped his mouth, and exhaled a sigh of relief.

Behind him, a second burst of green flames erupted violently from the hearth, heralding Tonks' arrival. She stumbled out, barely upright, before shoving Ethan aside and vomiting into the same spittoon.

Ethan quickly moved to pat her back as she doubled over, muttering, "It's okay, just breathe."

Tonks waved him off, straightening after a moment and wiping her mouth.

"I'm fine now," she said with a weak smile, taking a deep breath.

Reaching into the enchanted box she carried, Tonks gently coaxed out a litter of tiny wolf pups.

The box, charmed by the Polish Ministry with a traceless stretch spell, had allowed safe transport for the young creatures—too fragile to endure the perils of long-distance travel.

"Alright, Ethan," she said, crouching to guide the pups back into formation.

"I need to take these little ones to the werewolf registry. You can head back to Hogwarts."

Ethan frowned, still concerned. "Are you sure you don't need help?"

Tonks shook her head. "I've got it covered. Go on," she said firmly, flashing a reassuring smile before leading the pups deeper into the Ministry.

Watching her leave, Ethan turned and cast a quick Disillusionment Charm, blending seamlessly into the bustling atrium.

Moments later, he reappeared in the quiet streets of Hogsmeade. From there, it was a short trek to the gates of Hogwarts.

The castle was eerily silent, the halls echoing with the absence of students on vacation. Ethan made his way to his office, intending to pack a few things before leaving the school for a while.

As he finished organizing his belongings, a glimmer of silver caught his eye. A majestic silver phoenix glided into the room, its wings shimmering like starlight.

The magical bird landed gracefully on his desk, and Ethan immediately recognized it as Dumbledore's patronus.

"Mr. Ethan, welcome back," the phoenix said in Dumbledore's calm, melodic voice.

"Please come to my office. The password is 'Lemondrops.'"

Ethan frowned, wondering how the Headmaster already knew of his return. But an invitation like that left no room for hesitation.

With a resigned shrug, he set off for Dumbledore's office, his curiosity growing with every step.