https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-280-A-Message-from-the-Headmaster/12946006/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-282-The-Cave-of-Endings-and-Beginnings/12946008/
Chapter 281: This is Magic
Chapter 281: This is Magic
In the morning, as the first rays of sunlight pierced through the layers of clouds, Vold opened his eyes.
During the previous school year, he had maintained a habit of waking up promptly at sunrise for a long period, establishing a stable biological clock that still had him rising early.
Vold spent two minutes lying in bed, meditating with his eyes closed, before turning over and getting up to wash and head downstairs.
At this time, the Grays were still asleep, but the aroma of buttered toast was already wafting from the kitchen.
As he passed by the stairs, the mirror beside him swayed slightly, emitting a voice:
"Good morning, Master Gray. Your attire today is as casual and carefree as ever..."
"Thank you, I'm wearing my pajamas," Vold replied.
"This is the silk pajamas carefully selected by the Lady for you, showcasing your noble temperament, and it's always a delight for the mirror to see..."
"Really? But you don't have eyes," Vold said.
"It's just an adjective, Master. The sun is shining brightly today, perfect for wearing light-colored shirts! Paired with dark casual pants, it looks clean and neat, ideal for going out for a walk or meeting friends."
The mirror continued to chatter as Vold walked past, and he could still hear its voice from behind—
"Even visiting the elders would be appropriate..."
Vold shook his head.
This chatty fellow was a gift he had bought for his mother, Fiona, and Ferdinand had told him that Fiona sometimes discussed clothing and makeup with the mirror for two hours.
To some extent, this freed them from the fixed phrases like "It's fine" and "It looks good," but Ferdinand seemed a bit disappointed and would often sidle up, attempting to join in on the mirror's conversation with his wife.
However, that area was too unfamiliar to him.
And so, he began secretly studying fashion magazines.
Vold: "..."
He really wanted to tell his father that to enter their world, he might first need to learn to distinguish lipstick shades.
Leaving the mirror behind, Vold went downstairs to the first floor. The living room was spotlessly clean, and several small dolls were in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
Before Vold started attending Hogwarts, there were regular cleaners who came to clean and cook, and Fiona only needed to prepare breakfast every day.
Later, as the number of magic-related books and items in the house increased, Fiona took over most of the housework to avoid exposing their secret.
Although Ferdinand helped, he also had a lot of work, and the tedious housework still took up a significant amount of Fiona's time.
Vold felt a bit guilty about this and had been thinking of hiring a house-elf for the family, but he was also concerned about the Grays' safety.
While most house-elves were loyal to their wizard masters, there were also rebels among them, and magical creatures generally looked down upon anyone who couldn't use magic.
Take Kreacher from the Black family and Myk from Hogwarts, for example; they were both willing to follow Vold's instructions. But if they came to the Grays' house, would they be as obedient to Ferdinand or Fiona?
Vold couldn't be sure about that.
Even if they were willing to serve Vold's parents because of their connection to him, if they had feelings of resentment or dissatisfaction, house-elves would openly express these emotions.
And if they were to hire some stray elves that had been driven away by their masters... unless they were well-known, these powerful magical creatures could pose a threat to the Grays.
Vold had initially thought that Dobby was a good choice, but later, after he invented the automaton, all the problems were solved.
Now, three small automatons took care of most of the housework, and Fiona only prepared a loving home-cooked meal or knitted sweaters and gloves for the family in her free time.
The automatons had become accustomed to the daily routines of the family, and as soon as Vold sat at the table, a cup of hot coffee was delivered. Soon after, a hearty breakfast was laid out.
Coco, one of the automatons, held a water pitcher taller than herself and steadily poured a cup of hot water.
Vold cut a slice of bread and asked, "Have you noticed any strange people loitering around recently?"
Coco replied, "The strangest person was Alastor Moody, who shattered a bicycle on the road last night with a Shattering Charm."
Vold, who was about to eat the bread, paused and put down his fork, asking, "Did someone from the Ministry come to handle it?"
"No," Coco said. "He didn't attract the attention of Muggles, and the bicycle's owner thought it was an accident."
"Hmm."
Vold thought for a moment. The Ministry was probably used to Moody frequently causing similar accidents, so unless there was a potential breach of the Statute of Secrecy, they wouldn't bother to show up.
If there was a need to handle accidents... the person in charge would most likely be Arthur Weasley.
After breakfast, another automaton, Lucy, had already placed today's newspaper on the table.
Being very short, she ran over holding a stack of newspapers, making it seem like the newspapers were moving on their own.
Vold couldn't help but smile and asked, "Do you want me to help you grow bigger? It might be more convenient."
Lucy shook her head and said, "No need, we're used to it. And this way, we can accompany our master when going out."
Vold nodded and didn't say more.
The automatons, infused with thoughts, often felt no different from real people; they could converse, understand vague commands, and perform various intricate tasks.
Apart from reproduction and metabolism, they could do almost everything humans could.
In comparison, Muggle AI technology seemed clumsy and mechanical.
After breakfast, Vold saw that it was almost time, so he said goodbye to Ferdinand, who had just woken up.
"When will you be back?" Ferdinand asked.
"Probably in the evening," Vold replied. "If I need to stay overnight, I'll let you know."
"Hmm." Ferdinand nodded calmly, wanting to say something but swallowing it back, finally saying, "Don't forget to eat."
Vold naturally agreed, then went upstairs to change clothes.
Ferdinand stood by the window, lighting a cigarette and looking down. Suddenly, he heard a fluttering sound.
Looking up, he saw a peregrine falcon flying towards the distance.
"How can a person weighing over a hundred pounds transform into a bird weighing more than that? Is this reasonable? Doesn't matter need to be conserved?" Ferdinand asked the automaton beside him.
Coco seemed to be in a daze for a moment before saying, "This is magic, Master."
"Yeah..."
Ferdinand sighed deeply. "This is... magic."
(End of Chapter)
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