A Bite of Hogwarts - Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Chapter 014 – Hunting in Progress

Translator: Exodus Tales

Editor: Exodus Tales

Hogwarts Headmaster’s office.

Phoenixes had very gentle temperaments, and their songs could purify one’s mind and imbue one with courage.

Thus, those people who got to see a Phoenix were all pure children being watched over by destiny. Or at least that was what Alina believed at this moment.

“Nice to meet you, Fawkes. I am Alina Kaslana.”

Gulu~

The silver-haired half-Veela girl nervously swallowed. Cautiously observing the Phoenix, she bowed, trying to indicate that she meant no harm—though she didn’t know if this etiquette shown to Hippogriffs would work on a Phoenix.

Fawkes did nothing but blink its large and beautiful eyes while staring in confusion at Alina.

Just when Alina thought that the smile on her face was about to freeze, Fawkes bent its red-feathered neck and took a bow of its own.

“Whew…Thank you, Hagrid, thank you, Mister Newt. By helping people understand magical beasts, they’ve made an outstanding contribution to the world.”

Alina breathed out and slowly walked over. She cautiously extended a hand and began to caress the Phoenix’s golden-red plumage. She could sense the firm wings beneath the soft feathers, hot and bursting with meat.

The Phoenix pleasantly trilled, lazily closing its eyes as if enjoying Alina’s soft stroking.

In reality, witches and wizards had always wondered if there was some mysterious connection between Phoenixes and Veelass because when pure Veela were enraged, they would transform into birds and toss fireballs at their foes.

“So warm…”

Seeing that the golden-red bird had closed its eyes, Alina quietly put her other hand on the other side of the Phoenix while she happily rubbed her small face against its feathers.

Unlike Scottish Round-Faced Chicken, which had a rather foul stench, Phoenix feathers smelled like a blanket that had been basking in the light of a summer day.

Alina’s hands closed around Fawkes as she sniffed. Subconsciously, she whispered, “Such large wings! They must be delicious…”

Fawkes, who had just begun to nod off, suddenly opened its eyes, turning its head to the silver-haired girl who had begun to crawl on its back with a very human confusion.

It saw the cute Alina lick her lips, close her eyes, open her mouth, and happily bite down on its wing—Creee~

?!

?!

The quiet Headmaster’s office suddenly resounded with a bird’s cry.

Before Alina could finish biting down, the threatened Phoenix immediately unfurled its wings and pushed off the silver-haired girl.

Pop.

With a soft pop, the Phoenix disappeared from its perch and reappeared on the center table. The feathers on its neck were standing on end as it warily stared at Alina, who was confused over the emptiness in her mouth.

“Eh? Dumbledore said that I could eat you.”

Alina regretfully wiped her mouth with her suddenly emptied hand. Turning around, she turned to Fawkes and spread apart her arms as she earnestly explained, “And besides, you’re the immortal bird. I was just curious to see what you tasted like. I didn’t mean anything bad by it.”

Fawkes angrily cried out after hearing Alina’s words, its fiery wings spreading apart as it stared at Alina like she was a dangerous creature.

As a conflict between bird and child erupted, the previous Headmasters of Hogwarts in their portraits began to open their eyes and awaken, watching with great interest the stalemate in the office.

“It’s been so many years, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone dare to try and bite a Phoenix.” A fat wizard with a red nose folded his arms and curiously inspected the empty-handed Alina.

“What House are you from? Slytherin or Gryffindor? I think only the people from these two Houses would be this audacious. Raise your wand, little girl, fight like a witch.”

“Sorry, I’m none of them, Headmaster Dexter Fortescue. I will only know which House I belong to after the Sorting Ceremony in one month. Thus, I still don’t have my wand.”

Alina glanced at one of the portraits, shaking her head as she respectfully replied.

This ‘Headmaster Portrait’ who was often irascible in both the movies and the novels was someone she had some impression of. Although she didn’t know how much intelligence the wizard in the portrait still possessed, there was nothing bad about being courteous.

“Perhaps she doesn’t understand what a Phoenix is? Witches and wizards born from Muggle families will often cause such amusing scenes out of their ignorance.”

A jeer came from the side. A somewhat plump wizard with curly hair glanced at Alina as he haughtily spoke.

Phineas Nigellus Black, the least popular Headmaster in the history of Hogwarts. He had been able to tell from Alina’s clothes that she had come from the Non-Magic World.

“I actually might know even more than you do.”

Alina raised an eyebrow. She wouldn’t get angry because of comments from a portrait, and besides, she had long ago heard about this stubborn old wizard’s temper. The silver-haired girl casually shrugged.

“And I might as well correct. I’m certainly no Muggle. The blood of your ‘Toujours Pur’ Black family might not even be better than my blood.”

“A blood even purer than the oldest and most noble Black family? Impossible! I’ve never heard of a family in the Sacred Twenty-Eight with the surname of Kaslana.”

Phineas disdainfully spat. Although he was rather surprised that Alina was able to recite the motto on the Black family’s coat of arms, he wouldn’t be so easily intimidated by a little girl.

“Oh…who told you I was British? I hope you’re not so narrow-minded as to think that Britain is the only place in the world with pure-blood wizarding families, right? Dear Headmaster Phineas of 12 Grimmauld Place, London.”

The silver-haired girl casually replied. Her eyes slowly scanned the Headmaster’s office, hoping to see if she could find any convenient objects that could help her catch the Phoenix.

In any case, Phineas, restricted to his portrait, would be unable to determine what family she came from. Shooting back with a reply that would shut him up would save her a lot of trouble.

“Could it be a foreign pure-blood wizarding family that once visited the Black family? Silver hair…Alina…that seems to be a name often found in Germany.”

As expected, after hearing Alina’s reply, Phineas put his chin on his hand and began to think.

In his view, anyone who knew the location of the noble Black family’s home couldn’t possibly have been born in a Muggle family.

Ignoring Phineas, Alina tried to take a small step forward. Fawkes, standing on the central table, nervously flapped its wings, its golden beak pointed threateningly at Alina, telling her that it would jab at her with its beak if she took another step forward.

“Wow, so fierce.”

The silver-haired girl stuck out her tongue and calmly took a step back. It seemed like Newt Scamander’s account in ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ was not completely correct. At the very least, this Phoenix could not be described as ‘gentle.’

“Wait a moment; you’re not thinking about eating a Phoenix, are you? Give it up. It’s impossible. Putting aside whether you can even catch it, Phoenixes are fire spirits, so they’re not afraid of flames or high temperatures. And when it’s dangerous, they can even summon flames, burning themselves down to ashes so that they can be reborn. I’ve never heard of anyone who has been able to successfully catch and eat a Phoenix.”

The speaker was an old witch with silver curly hair. She spoke in a soft and gentle tone, like a nun from the convent back in London. All of her sentences ended with a pleasant ring.

Dilys Derwent, one of the few Headmistresses of Hogwarts. She served in the post from 1741-1768, but before that, from 1722-1741, she was a Healer at St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Due to her work experience, she had interacted with and studied many dangerous and magically powerful creatures.

“Honored, Headmistress Dilys, I’ve already thought of a way to cook it.”

Alina turned to the silver-haired witch, and sweetly smiled.

“As long as the Phoenix doesn’t ignite through nuclear fusion, I just have to switch out all the oxygen in its environment for noble gases and then think of a way to heat the gas, using high heat for cooking it.

“The only problem now is…how to catch this delicious Phoenix…oh, wait, it has a new name: Rare Scottish Long-Tailed Turkey.”

Alina looked around, her eyes bright.

“There it is!”

The silver-haired girl snatched at a shabby wizard’s hat that had been placed on a shelf behind a massive claw-footed table. She carefully inspected the black opening. If the angle was right, it was probably enough to completely cover the Phoenix.

At this moment, the shabby wizard’s hat began to twist in Alina’s hands. A tear appeared on the brim of the hat, and a panicked voice came from within.

“Miss, what are you trying to do?! I am a sentient and magical hat that contains the thoughts and intelligence of the four great founders of Hogwarts! Do you know just how rude you’re being?!”

“Quiet! Of course, I know what I’m doing, dear Sorting Hat.”

Alina kneaded the large hat, then gripped the brim with both hands and aimed the opening at Fawkes’s golden beak, her eyes smugly squinting. “It will probably try to avoid damaging this hat so important to Hogwarts. After all, if the Sorting Hat is damaged, it will affect this year’s Sorting Ceremony.”

Alina raised her head, her eyes meeting Fawkes’s wary gaze. Smiling, she lunged forward with the Sorting Hat. The intelligence of humans rested in using tools for hunting prey!

“Don’t worry; it will only hurt for a short moment.”

The Sorting Hat continued to sway left and right, its struggles intensifying. As Alina began to move, it started to scream.

“Wait!!! Wait!!!

“You’re not treating a sentient magical hat as a hunting net, are you?!

“Stop! Are you a devil?!”

“AAAAAAAAH!!!!”