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Chapter 23
Audrey's First Encounter with Tsuruko, and the Grey Family's Misfortune
After their holiday, the Astray siblings quickly became busy again.
Following the United States, Japan also extended an invitation to them—clear proof that this brother-and-sister duo already had the potential to become world-class superstars.
What was most astonishing was that they had officially debuted for just over three months.
In 1986, the famous Tokyo Dome was still under construction and had not yet been put into use.
As a result, the Astray siblings' concert was held at the Nippon Budokan.
Ever since The Beatles visited Japan in 1966, the Nippon Budokan had become a sacred venue for Japanese rock musicians, a dream stage revered by countless artists.
The concert was scheduled for December 14th and would run for seven consecutive days.
By the time everything here was over and they returned , it would be almost Christmas.
To be fair, during this era, the Japanese people's admiration for foreign things was practically ingrained in their bones.
From the moment Audrey stepped off the plane, she was treated with meticulous care.
Countless enthusiastic fans were already waiting at the airport.
"Audrey," Rick said uneasily as he looked at his sister, "the Japanese fans are way too passionate. I can't handle this."
Audrey smiled and waved at the frenzied crowd held back by police and security, replying calmly,
"I suppose this is just how Japanese fans treat singers they like. Brother, you don't need to worry too much."
The Golden Tiger nestled in Audrey's arms nodded faintly.
Muggles always make such a fuss.
"Audrey-san! Auntie washes the railway!"
"オードリーさん,最高!!"
"...!"
Rick quickly realised there was no reason to be nervous at all.
Most of the fans weren't even shouting his name—they were calling for Audrey.
Rick's signature song hadn't been released yet, and for now he was still seen mainly as the songwriter and supporting member of the group.
Much like a certain legendary group's "YoYo," who started out as a background presence before later astonishing everyone with his true ability.
---
On the day of the concert, Audrey stood near the entrance, watching with great interest as the "witches" on stage performed what appeared to be a purification ritual.
The young shrine maidens each held a wand-like ritual implement, dancing gracefully across the stage.
When they stepped down, Audrey was surprised to notice that their outfits were actually pink.
> [Author's Note / Official Setting]
The uniforms worn by students at the Japanese magical academy automatically adjust in size as they grow, and their colour changes as their studies progress. At the beginner stage, they are pink.
Shouldn't shrine maiden robes be red and white?
Audrey was full of doubts.
At that moment, she noticed that one small witch hadn't left with the group. Instead, she stood nearby, facing Audrey, her head lowered as she spoke softly.
"ドッチさん,早く来て!"
[Toki, come here quickly!]
In her previous life, Audrey had been immersed in Japanese anime for over a decade, so she could understand some basic Japanese.
The little witch was clearly not calling her.
There was no one else around.
Then the little witch spoke again, sounding increasingly anxious:
"そんなことしないで,ドッチさん...私,学校から追い出されるよ!"
[Don't do that, Toki! I'll be expelled from school!]
…?
Something was clinging tightly to Audrey's leg.
She looked down—there was nothing there.
Yet the sensation was unmistakably real.
The little witch looked on the verge of tears.
Hydras seemed to realise something. She reached out and gently touched the air.
Soft. Fluffy. Warm.
The next moment, Audrey gained a new magical trait.
She couldn't help laughing quietly—this was extremely useful.
A Demiguise.
The invisible magical creature named Toki gradually revealed itself to Audrey's perception. Though still invisible to the naked eye, she could now see it clearly.
"Hello," Audrey crouched down, speaking gently.
"Are you called Toki?"
Toki's droopy, melancholic eyes widened in surprise as he suddenly threw himself into Audrey's arms, hugging her tightly.
The Demiguise—a silver-furred, ape-like magical creature—was naturally gentle, but had been hunted nearly to extinction because its fur could be used to make Invisibility Cloaks.
Audrey took Toki's hand and led him over to the little witch, placing the Demiguise's paw into her hand.
"This is your Demiguise, right?" Audrey said lightly.
"You should keep a closer eye on him next time~"
"You… you're not… a Muggle?" the little witch asked hesitantly.
Though English was clearly taught at the academy, her grasp of it wasn't very good.
Audrey simply smiled and didn't answer.
"Miss Audrey, I am Kamo Tsuruko.
よろしくお願いします."
[Please take care of me.]
"…."
They exchanged a few brief words before parting ways—language barriers made deeper conversation impossible.
Toki was extremely reluctant to leave Audrey and was almost dragged away by Tsuruko. His already melancholy eyes looked even gloomier.
---
It was only a minor incident, yet it left Audrey in an excellent mood for days.
After all, she had gained a remarkably powerful ability.
The Demiguise not only possessed invisibility, but also the power of precognition.
Yes—foreseeing the future.
Although the visions were limited, it was still practically a divine gift.
---
When the siblings returned to England, it was already December 23rd.
After the concert, they had recorded two Japanese variety shows, which delayed their return .
"Mr Waterman, I'm exhausted!" Audrey complained the moment she got off the plane, clinging dramatically to Peter Waterman.
"From now on, don't make me do anything except sing. If you push me any harder, I'm going on strike!"
As an eleven-and-a-half-year-old child star, if Audrey truly decided to strike, Peter Waterman wouldn't be able to stop her.
In fields like music and sports, talent is often cultivated from a very young age. Miss that window, and it's gone forever.
As long as everything was properly registered, minors working in such special industries was legally permitted.
But public opinion was another matter.
If Waterman Ltd. were accused of exploiting underage artists, it would be finished.
And Audrey was now their greatest asset.
So naturally, Peter agreed.
From that point on, Audrey's only responsibility was singing.
Which suited her just fine—singing was something she genuinely enjoyed.
Everything else?
Go away. I'd rather lie at home rolling around on piles of Galleons.
---
December 24th
Hydras, disguised as Kamo Tsuruko, arrived at the Leaky Cauldron.
This time, she didn't bring Golden Tiger with her.
Tabby cats were rare in Britain, and bringing one would risk exposing her identity.
She had two reasons for coming.
First—to buy Christmas presents for Rick in Diagon Alley.
Second—to gather information from the wizarding world.
After all, her last visit to a bar had been incredibly profitable.
More than two-thirds of the space inside her enchanted pouch was now stuffed with Galleons.
It was noon, and the Leaky Cauldron wasn't very crowded.
She would have preferred coming in the evening, but Christmas Eve had to be spent with family.
After sitting for a long while with no interesting gossip, she waved a hand.
"Mr Tom," Hydras called out, "do you have copies of the Daily Prophet from last month? And another butterbeer."
Old Tom emerged from behind the bar with a bottle in one hand and a stack of newspapers in the other.
"Here."
He set them down, took the money, and turned to leave.
"Mr Tom!"
He stopped again, sighed, turned back, and said seriously,
"My surname is Abbott. You can call me Mr Abbott—or Old Tom."
Mr Tom? What sort of name is that?
"Well then, Old Tom," Hydras laughed, pointing toward a section of wall where several wizards were prying bricks loose.
"I've noticed they've been working there for quite a while. Is the bar expanding?"
"No," Old Tom replied.
"There's a little singer in the Muggle world named Audrey who's become incredibly popular lately—even among wizards."
He continued,
"Her songs are played every few days on Wizarding Wireless. A lot of people even think she's secretly a witch."
He gestured toward the wall.
"There's a Muggle record shop next door. They play her songs nonstop, and customers keep crowding outside to listen."
"How could we allow so many wizards to gather in Muggle territory?"
"The Ministry warned me several times. In the end, I had no choice but to modify the wall so the music could be heard inside the bar."
So it was a song-borrowing project.
Hydras was quietly delighted.
"Yes," she agreed enthusiastically.
"I love Audrey's songs too. She's incredible. And your idea is wonderful, Mr Abbott. Hearing Miss Astray sing in a bar would be perfect."
"I think so too!"
Old Tom turned and left.
Hydras took a deep gulp of butterbeer and unfolded the newspaper.
---
"Disgrace! Fooling an Old Servant—The Stupid Ministry of Magic"
by Rita Skeeter
The article accused the Ministry of being completely outplayed by Bode Grey.
Bode Grey's been exposed?
Hydras was startled.
But as she read on, she realised it was just another piece of Rita Skeeter's nonsense.
The entire article was full of "perhaps," "maybe," and "it seems," with no real evidence—pure speculation about an inappropriate relationship between Bode Grey and a Ministry official.
That said, as fiction, it was still entertaining.
"There are new arrest warrants!"
The voice arrived before the person.
The doors burst open, and two Aurors strode in, each holding a stack of wanted posters.
"Bode Grey, suspected of robbing gold wagons, murdering guards, and defrauding the Ministry of Magic, is hereby declared a wanted criminal!
A bounty of 20,000 Galleons is offered for his capture!"
Hydras blinked.
It wasn't that she didn't understand—it was just that events were unfolding far too quickly.
Bode Grey… wanted?
"Mr Auror, what exactly happened with Bode Grey?" someone asked immediately.
This kind of official information was priceless bar gossip.
"The day before yesterday," the Auror explained,
"Bode Grey attempted to rob a gold transport wagon belonging to the Rosier family, but was caught in the act by Aurors hired to guard it."
"To ensure the safety of Thestral-drawn wagons, the Ministry established an Auror escort service," he added pointedly.
"After a fierce battle, several Aurors were injured, and Bode Grey escaped."
"Subsequent investigations at Gringotts revealed that after the Grey family received 17,000 Galleons in compensation, their vault saw deposits exceeding 40,000 Galleons—despite them having sold off assets the previous quarter."
"Based on this, we conclude that the robber of the Malfoy family's wagons was none other than Bode Grey."
"He is currently at large. The Ministry has ordered the Grey family to surrender all illicit funds and fraudulent compensation. Failure to comply will result in the arrest of the entire family."
Truly magical…
Hydras stared at Bode Grey's wanted poster—placed right next to her own.
In the photograph, Bode Grey wore a silver mask covering half his face, grinning like a starving hyena.
Compared to him, Hydras—despite roaring like a lion—looked positively adorable.
This is the best Christmas present I could have asked for.
Hydras smiled.
Truly… deeply satisfying.
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