Chapter 24: Eulalie Hicks

Tom wrinkled his nose, looking with utter disdain at the strange creature ravenously devouring food before him.

"Where did you find this thing?"

"It’s not a 'thing,' Tom. This is a house-elf. His name is Toby, and he is my most loyal servant." Li Wei said as he added a chicken leg to Toby’s plate.

"A what?" Tom stared at Li Wei, looking completely bewildered. Having only just stepped into the wizarding world, Tom had no idea what a house-elf was.

Before Li Wei could continue, Toby jumped up, shouting with a touch of hysteria.

"Oh! The great Master Wei! The kind Master Wei! How could you possibly serve food to Toby? Toby is wretched! Toby must punish himself!"

"Stop. I order you to finish your meal properly."

Just as Toby grabbed Tom’s new cauldron, ready to smash it against his own head, Li Wei issued a calm command. Toby immediately put the cauldron down and sat back on the floor, obediently continuing to eat, though his tennis-ball-sized eyes were brimming with tears.

"Oh... Master Wei is the best, the greatest master in the whole world!"

"So, what is going on here? What on earth is a house-elf? Is he always this neurotic?" Tom asked, frowning.

Tom, unable to sleep, had packed his things and come to meet Li Wei, only to walk in on this scene. Having never seen such a creature, he had no idea what kind of trouble Li Wei had stirred up in the few hours they were apart.

Li Wei patted Tom on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Don't worry. Although your status has shifted from my most loyal servant to my second most loyal, I will still treat you just as well as before."

Tom’s face turned black instantly, the veins on his forehead throbbing as he asked through gritted teeth, "Who did you say was your servant?"

"Tom, you’re not as respectful as you used to be. Do you see now why you were demoted from first to second?" Li Wei said with a look of regret.

"You son of a..." Tom fought back the urge to lash out; he didn't want to get beaten up!

*Calm down... you can't beat him yet... stay calm...*

Tom took several deep breaths until his emotions finally leveled out.

"What's wrong? Are you hungry too?" Li Wei looked from the pot in his hand to Tom. "There’s still some left, if you want..."

"No! I’m not hungry at all!" Tom’s composure, just barely regained, nearly shattered again.

"Fine, suit yourself." Li Wei set the pot down beside Toby, letting him continue his meal.

***

"So, what exactly is a house-elf?" Tom asked, persistent.

"House-elves are the most loyal servants to wizards. Their kind also possesses many interesting forms of magic. While they may not seem as powerful as a wizard's magic, they are quite useful for handling household chores. By the way, I read about this in a book at the shop today."

Li Wei proceeded to tell Tom as much as he deemed appropriate about finding the house-elf while wandering outside. He knew that if he kept a house-elf by his side, he wouldn't be able to hide it forever, so he might as well be upfront about it.

"I don't think such a filthy creature can be of any help," Tom said, looking at Toby with disgust.

"Don't underestimate any creature, Tom. Otherwise, you’ll be the one to suffer for it later," Li Wei said, his tone heavy with meaning.

By now, Toby had finished every scrap of food from the plate and the pot.

"Master Wei, Toby has never been so full..." Toby began to tear up again.

"All right, Toby. Find somewhere to rest for now and make sure you clean yourself up. I don't want to see you looking so disheveled next time." Li Wei issued another order.

Toby sniffled, bowed low, and said respectfully, "As you wish, Master Wei."

*Pop!*

Toby vanished on the spot, leaving behind a sound like a whip cracking against the floor. Tom’s eyes widened at the sight.

"See? At least you won’t have to help me wash dishes anymore," Li Wei said, gesturing to the plate and pot on the floor.

Only then did Tom notice that the dishes and pot, which had been messy moments ago, were now clean as new. It had to be said that Toby was an experienced house-elf; his kitchen magic was nothing short of masterful.

Suddenly, a flicker appeared in Tom’s eyes. "What’s washing dishes? Actually, I could help you cook."

"You’re planning to poison me, aren't you?" Li Wei remained unmoved.

"Tch... was it that obvious?"

***

In the blink of an eye, the sky turned a pale, milky white as dawn approached. Li Wei sat on his bed, engrossed in a copy of *The Count of Monte Cristo*, while Tom paced and peered outside from time to time.

"Dumbledore’s people wouldn't have forgotten to come for us, would they? It’s almost sunrise," Tom said, feeling anxious.

Li Wei slowly closed his book and said, "Isn't that them now?"

"Here? Where?" Before Tom could finish his question, he heard the faint sound of whinnying horses echoing from the sky.

Tom hurried to look up. The sound grew closer, and suddenly, a carriage burst through the grey clouds. To Tom, it looked as though the carriage had no horses pulling it, with only a middle-aged man serving as the coachman.

Li Wei looked out the window as well, but in his vision, three pitch-black, skeletal, winged horses were pulling the carriage as it descended. Li Wei recognized them as Thestrals—magical creatures that could only be seen by those who had truly witnessed death. Having died in his previous life, Li Wei could see them, but Tom, still a novice with a "0/0" record, could not.

*Thud!*

The carriage landed in front of the orphanage gate with a loud crash, yet the people inside the orphanage and the other residents on the street seemed not to hear a thing, remaining in silence.

The carriage door swung open, and a dark-skinned witch with curly hair, holding a book, hopped out. She glanced at the orphanage gate, then looked straight up at the window of Li Wei’s room, her gaze locking with his and Tom’s.

A smile played on the witch’s lips, and in the next second, she vanished.

Tom stared wide-eyed, scanning the window. "Where did she go?"

"Are you looking for me?" A woman’s voice suddenly came from behind them.

Tom jumped in fright and spun around. Li Wei turned his head to see the witch standing right behind them, though he had no idea when she had arrived.

Tom looked at her in shock. "You... who are you? How did you get in here?"

One moment she was outside, and the next she was on the second floor right behind them—the thought alone was chilling.

"Hello, I am Eulalie Hicks. You may call me Professor Hicks." The witch smiled and reached out a hand toward Li Wei and Tom.

Tom watched Hicks warily and didn't move. Li Wei, however, reached out and shook her hand. "Professor Hicks, are you the one Professor Dumbledore sent to pick us up?"