It felt like everything had finally settled down.
When they returned from Diagon Alley, the Dursleys held a lively dinner party that night, and Lynn was invited to join them.
Vernon opened a bottle of champagne he'd been saving for years. Petunia pulled out every last bit of her culinary skill to make a feast.
On top of the regular dishes, there were all kinds of magical treats and toys. The two adults ended up smiling like overgrown children.
Vernon popped a Pepper Imp into his mouth. A second later, steam billowed out of his ears like he was a runaway train, and a muffled whistle sounded from his throat.
"Hahaha, Dudley, you've gotta try this!"
He stuffed another Pepper Imp into Dudley's mouth. When Dudley started puffing like a kettle too, Vernon laughed so hard he almost tipped over.
The whole room felt bright and warm, the kind of happiness where everyone forgot their worries. But after plenty of noise and laughter, even the most cheerful party had to wind down.
"I've never had so much fun!"
Holly spread her arms and hopped ahead of Lynn. She'd said she wanted to walk him out, but truthfully, she just wanted some fresh air.
To keep the neighbors from noticing anything strange, the Dursleys had closed all the windows and cranked the music to cover the noises magical food tended to make after eating it. The house ended up feeling a bit stifling.
"Same here. Oh, and thanks for the gift, Holly."
Hands in his pockets, Lynn walked beside her. The night wind was cool and strong, tugging his loosely tied hair into the breeze.
"Lynn, why do you keep your hair long?"
Holly spun around and walked backward to face him.
"Because I'm too lazy to get it cut. I don't like going to barbers, so I just tie it up. It doesn't get in the way."
"Doesn't it make showers annoying?" Holly frowned. "I could never get used to it. Long hair is such a hassle. It even gets stuck under you when you sleep."
"I manage. Maybe because my bathroom is a little high-tech. After I wash or take a bath, a smart dryer dries my hair at the push of a button."
"Huh?" Holly blinked. "Aren't you living in a tent? Your tent has a bathroom?"
"Why wouldn't it?"
"I don't believe you unless you show me."
"Alright."
Lynn didn't mind letting her see the Universal Tent. Everything in his four-dimensional pouch could be mistaken for some kind of magical gadget anyway. No one would believe the truth.
Although bringing a girl into his tent this late at night…
Well, no need to overthink it. Lynn didn't have even the slightest interest in Holly, or in Harry either. After a year of training his x-ray vision, he'd grown completely numb to the so-called mysteries of the human body. Once you've seen enough, everything's just lumps of flesh in different shapes.
A few minutes later, they arrived outside an empty house. Lynn glanced at Holly, and in the next instant she vanished, teleported inside. Lynn followed right after.
Teleportation didn't just work on himself. He could move other living things too, though it took more effort.
He set the Universal Tent on the floor. They slipped inside one after the other. The moment Holly saw the tent's interior and its shifting modes, her curiosity fired right back to full strength. Even after a whole day exploring Diagon Alley, she still wasn't close to satisfied.
When the tent switched to bathroom mode, the steaming hot spring and luxurious shower setup made her blink at Lynn.
"Can I try it?"
"You want a bath? Just toss your clothes in that washer. It washes and dries them automatically. After that, everything's ready to wear again. That thing dispenses shampoo and body wash, and there are lots of scents to choose from. The bath keeps itself at the perfect temperature. Basically, everything in here is made to be easy."
"This tent is amazing!"
"I always imagined you having a miserable time out on your own," Holly said. "Sleeping outdoors, eating cold food. But honestly, Lynn, this is nicer than my room at the Dursleys'."
Maybe Holly still hadn't fully adjusted to seeing herself as a girl, or maybe it was something else entirely, but before Lynn could excuse himself, she'd already stripped and splashed straight into the warm water, washing away the day's exhaustion with pure delight.
Lynn didn't glance her way. He just pulled off his socks, sat at the edge of the pool, and soaked his feet. From his backpack, he took out an old book—one of the wandlore manuals Ollivander had given him: Fantastic Magical Flora, Volume One.
To become a proper wandmaker, you needed to know magical materials inside and out. Only then could you start learning how different magical properties fused together. Wandcraft was far more complex than potion-brewing. There was no set recipe.
At some point, Holly finished rinsing off and settled into the shallow end of the spring. She scooted over beside him and peeked at the book cover.
"This doesn't look like a school textbook."
She tapped his leg.
"When I went to get my wand, I asked Mr. Ollivander a lot of questions. He was happy to teach me, so he gave me a bunch of books. I'll probably spend the holidays learning wandmaking at his shop. It's pretty fun."
"Really? Lynn, that's awesome!"
"Just a little hobby. I like messing around with tools."
Lynn closed the book and set it aside, then looked down at her.
"You're a girl now, you know. Don't go wandering into the boys' bathroom or the boys' bathhouse. You'll scare people to death."
"I do forget sometimes…" Holly laughed, embarrassed. "But you're different. You're probably the only person in the world who knows the truth."
"That may be, but you should still get used to your current identity," Lynn said after a moment. "Give it a few years. Even with a reason like yours, you won't be able to get away with things like this anymore. People will misunderstand."
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. Even if I did, who'd believe me?"
She paused, then sighed. "Being a girl isn't all great though. Aunt Petunia said girls have to deal with something painful every month. Maybe this year, maybe next year… but it's coming."
"Drink more hot water. Or make yourself a warm brown sugar drink."
"Why do you know everything?"
"Books. Everything's in books."
"Oh." Holly nodded thoughtfully. Lynn really was the type who read a lot. "Have you decided what to name the owls?"
That afternoon, with Hagrid's help, she'd gone to Eeylops Owl Emporium and bought two owls. One was a white snowy owl she'd fallen for at first sight. The other was a sleek black eagle owl, which she'd gifted to Lynn.
"I'll call them… Hedwig and Sigurd."
"Those sound really nice." Holly brightened. She loved the name Hedwig. It felt meant for her snowy owl. "Do the names mean anything?"
"Hedwig comes from Old High German. It means a protector in battle. Sigurd is Old Norse. A guardian of victory."
"How many books have you read, Lynn?" Holly asked, astonished even though she knew he was knowledgeable.
"When I was wandering around outside, there wasn't much else to do. I don't have a Social Security number, and my birth certificate is still with the orphanage. So technically, I'm nobody. Learning things seemed like the only way to make life easier later."
"That… sounds really hard."
Holly stood up. "It's getting late. I should head back. I'm tired after walking all day. But thanks for the hot spring. It felt amazing."
"Stand right there. The dryer will handle your body and your hair. Your clothes should be done too."
Warm air lifted her hair, drying everything in seconds. She stretched her arms happily. What used to be a tedious chore was now child's play with future-tech. After changing into warm, clean clothes, Lynn escorted her out.
"Remember to come for breakfast tomorrow! Bye!"
She waved and skipped off down the street.
Late night settled over Privet Drive. A cool breeze drifted along the empty road. It was the kind of clear, peaceful night perfect for deep sleep. Some people fell asleep the moment their head hit the pillow. Others tossed and turned, unable to rest at all.
Only two small owls glided silently through the moonlit sky, beginning their own nocturnal hunt.