But then his eyes slid toward Serafall, lingering there in silent judgment.
Serafall immediately huffed again, glaring at him with clear irritation. "Oh, don't give me that look," she said defensively. "This wasn't my fault either! A sexy redhead came right up to me at a bar, practically begging for a one-night stand. How the hell was I supposed to say no to that?" she whined.
"By just saying no," Dumbledore said flatly, clearly unimpressed by my mother's casual excuse.
Serafall leaned back against the plush cushions and smirked at him. "Trust me, for my kind, saying no is nearly impossible. We always stay true to our desires!"
Dumbledore paused, eyes narrowing slightly. "Your kind?" he repeated carefully, glancing from Serafall to me, clearly confused. "Miss Serafall, forgive my bluntness, but are you human?"
A mischievous grin spread slowly across my mother's face. "Nope," she replied cheerfully, popping the 'p' deliberately, as if amused by his curiosity.
"Then, if you're not human, may I ask exactly what you are?" he asked slowly. "And are you perhaps the reason young Harry never received his Hogwarts letter?"
At this, Serafall turned her head slightly and winked at me before turning back to face the headmaster again.
"I have no idea why Harry didn't get his letter," she lied smoothly, her voice perfectly innocent. "As for what I am, well... that's something between Harry and me. Consider it our little family secret. If you want answers, you'll just have to figure them out yourself."
Dumbledore stared at her blankly for a moment before letting out a tired groan. He leaned back in the stiff armchair, suddenly looking weary and resigned. "Perhaps it's best that I don't know after all," he muttered quietly. "I suppose knowing your true nature wouldn't change much anyway." Then, turning his attention toward me again, his blue eyes grew serious and focused. "Well then, Harry, the important thing now is what you wish to do next. Have you given any thought to your future?"
My pulse quickened nervously as I considered my answer. Honestly, I wasn't entirely sure why I felt so anxious asking. Still, I gathered my courage and cleared my throat, trying to steady my voice. "Can I... can I go to Hogwarts?" I finally asked. "I'd really like to attend, if it's still possible."
A gentle, genuine smile broke across Dumbledore's face, his entire expression instantly warming. "Harry, I'd be delighted to have you join Hogwarts," he assured me sincerely. He paused briefly, clearly thinking things through. "Obviously, your curriculum would need to be adjusted, considering you're joining at such a late stage. You would have some catching up to do compared to your peers. However," he continued quickly, noticing my worried expression, "please don't feel discouraged by that. Late admissions are rare, but certainly not unprecedented. In fact, there's a historical rumor about a student who didn't begin attending until their fifth year, way back in the early 1800s. From what the stories tell, that student managed perfectly well-they even saved the entire school during a goblin attack."
Serafall immediately let out a loud, irritated scoff beside me, causing Dumbledore and I to glance over at her in surprise. "Fucking goblins," she muttered darkly under her breath.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued by her reaction. "I take it you don't particularly care for goblins, my lady?" he asked politely.
Serafall's eyes narrowed sharply, her pretty face twisting into a scowl. "I fucking hate them," she said bluntly, without further explanation. Her tone made it perfectly clear she had nothing more to say on the subject.
...The conversation didn't last much longer. We stayed seated in the Dursleys' overly tidy living room, with Dumbledore promising he'd handle everything regarding my admission to Hogwarts. He assured me my unusual circumstances wouldn't be a problem, and he'd have my class schedule sorted before I arrived.
Dumbledore shifted slightly in his stiff armchair, leaning forward as he glanced at me with a curious expression. "By the way, Harry," he began casually, "I see you've been getting along rather well with young Miss Granger."
I blinked in surprise, sitting a little straighter on the plush couch. "You know Hermione?"
He smiled gently, nodding. "Yes, of course. She's an exceptionally bright student, always at the top of her class year." His expression softened slightly, becoming sympathetic. "Unfortunately, according to her head of house, Professor McGonagall, she's struggled to make friends for three years running. I'm hopeful you'll continue being a good friend to her."
"That doesn't even make sense to me," I said bluntly. "Hermione is smart, genuinely nice, and pretty. Guys would have to be absolute idiots not to want to be friends with her."
Dumbledore simply chuckled softly, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Oh, you'll soon discover, Harry, that when it comes to the magical world, there are far more idiots around than you might expect!" He laughed like that was an inside joke.
Serafall snorted lightly beside me. "That's not just the magical world. Idiots are everywhere. Trust me-I've had enough experience to know."
I glanced sideways, surprised when Dumbledore actually laughed quietly at her comment. His expression was warmer now, less guarded. "On that, I must admit you are entirely correct, my dear."
"Wait a minute-how exactly did you know I was friends with Hermione in the first place?" I asked.
He raised an eyebrow slightly. "Ah," he said, eyes sparkling with mischief, "because, Harry, your face is currently plastered across every wizarding newspaper. And several of those papers featured Miss Granger as well!"
Before I could even ask for more clarification, Dumbledore snapped his fingers lightly. A newspaper instantly appeared out of thin air in his outstretched hand. My mouth fell open slightly in shock, not just at the sudden appearance, but at the moving black and white pictures splashed across the front page.
The Boy Who Lived is Alive! ...And Already Has a Secret Mistress!? Everything to Know Inside, by Rita Skeeter...
Wow...
My jaw tightened in disbelief. The images showed Hermione and me sitting in the cozy little cafe from last night, leaning toward each other and chatting quietly. The pictures actually moved, capturing every subtle expression and small gesture we made.
I groaned quietly to myself, feeling irritation building sharply in my chest. "Of course the magical world has tabloids," I muttered bitterly.
Suddenly, Serafall reached across and swiftly snatched the paper straight out of Dumbledore's hand. Her eyes sparkled happily as she studied the moving photographs of Hermione and me, a delighted smile forming on her pretty face. "This is adorable!" she announced cheerfully. "It's definitely going in the photo album I'm planning to start immediately!"
I stared blankly at her in disbelief. "Wait, Mom-you're seriously going to keep that trashy article?"
She just beamed at me and nodded enthusiastically, clearly not bothered in the slightest. "Of course, Harry! This is your very first scandal! As your mom, I'm practically required to document moments like these! Besides, it runs in the family. Just wait til you read some of mine where I'm apparently having a secret affair with Grayfia and Sirzechs! At the same time!"
Dumbledore finally stood up, smoothing down his long robes. He turned to me with a friendly expression. "Before I go, Harry, there's something else I'd like to mention," he said in a gentle voice. "I realize adjusting to this world so suddenly will be difficult, especially since you're entering Hogwarts late. I know a family called the Weasleys who could help you. They have several children, including a son about your age, along with a few older brothers. They're good people-trustworthy and genuinely kind. Unfortunately, they're away on vacation in Egypt at the moment, but once they return, I could arrange an introduction if you're interested?"
I blinked in surprise, not exactly sure how to respond to that. I was nineteen years old, and the headmaster was acting like I was a shy little kid who needed help finding playmates. Still, as ridiculous as it sounded, I really didn't have many friends to begin with, magical or otherwise.
Despite feeling slightly embarrassed, I chuckled quietly and nodded at him. "Alright, sure. Thanks, Professor. I'll keep that in mind," I said, smiling at the older man. He seemed relieved by my answer, nodding back as he moved slowly toward the door.
"Very good," he said quietly. "Please contact me anytime if you have further questions or concerns, Harry. I'll ensure your Hogwarts preparations are all taken care of."
"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore," I said sincerely.
He nodded politely once more, gave a small respectful nod to Serafall, and then stepped out through the front door. The instant the door closed behind him, I heard a loud crack outside, making me jump slightly in surprise.
Beside me on the couch, Serafall laughed softly at my reaction, giving my arm an affectionate squeeze. I exhaled slowly, relaxing back into the overly soft cushions. It felt strange, suddenly sitting alone in the Dursleys' pristine living room with my new mother.
I glanced across the room to where Aunt Petunia was still sprawled motionless on the thick carpet, her pale face slack and unconscious. It felt wrong leaving her lying there. With a heavy sigh, I got to my feet, gently releasing Serafall's hand in the process.
"Hold on just a second, Mom," I murmured. "I should probably take care of Petunia."
Serafall gave a reluctant sigh, clearly unhappy I was bothering with my aunt. But she didn't argue, only watched with mild amusement as I walked across the room and knelt beside my aunt's thin body.
Carefully, I slid my arms beneath Petunia's shoulders and knees, then lifted her up slowly. I carried her carefully across the living room toward the nearby couch. Standing back up, I turned to Serafall, who watched me patiently from her seat.
"I'll leave her a note explaining what happened," I told my mom quietly. "I don't think either of us wants to be here when she finally wakes up... It's probably better if I don't see my relatives for a while."
It was also clear-considering the fact that she fainted just from hearing her little sister also liked women-that aunt Petunia would not be able to handle the fact that her nephew was half devil!
I'd be leaving that out of the note.
Serafall immediately smiled. "I couldn't agree more," she said cheerfully, standing and stretching her arms above her head. As she stretched, my eyes involuntarily drifted downward, drawn to the generous swell of her large breasts straining against the thin fabric of her sparkly costume. My cheeks heated slightly as I forced my gaze quickly back up to her face. Pretending not to notice, Serafall flashed me a bright grin and walked over, wrapping her arm casually around mine. "Come on then, Harry," she purred softly. "We've got a whole bunch of stuff to do today!"
Serafall pulled me quickly outside, gripping my hand tightly as she guided me away from the Dursleys' front porch and onto the neatly mowed lawn. The neighborhood was quiet at this time of morning, just a couple of joggers passing by on the far sidewalk and a dog barking somewhere down the street. A few curious glances drifted toward us, probably because of Serafall's brightly colored, sparkly magical girl outfit.
She didn't seem to care in the slightest, completely at ease as we stopped on the grass.
"Alright, Harry, hold on tight to me," she said, turning to face me with an excited expression. Her grip on my hand tightened a little more, her fingers pressing warmly against mine. "This is probably going to feel pretty weird, since we're about to teleport directly into the center of the Earth!"
I blinked at her, my mind taking a second to register what she'd just casually mentioned. "Wait-what?!" was all I managed to get out, my voice rising sharply.
But before I could protest further or even try to clarify what she meant, the ground beneath our feet suddenly lit up bright blue, almost blinding. My stomach lurched violently, an intense pressure squeezing around me like a giant fist. The sensation was overwhelming and disorienting, and for a split second I was convinced I was going to throw up.
Then, just as abruptly as the feeling started, it vanished!
Blinking rapidly to clear my vision, I realized we were no longer standing outside in front of my aunt's suburban house. Instead, we were inside a modern, luxurious office-one far nicer and more stylish than the goblins' I'd visited the day before.
The walls, though, were the most eye-catching part. Almost every inch was covered with large, colorful posters showing various magical girls-none of whom I recognized. All the girls wore extremely revealing costumes, many of them nearly naked. The drawings clearly emphasized their exaggerated curves, with oversized breasts and round, exposed asses prominently displayed.
One poster in particular caught my attention immediately.
Right there in the center of the wall was a large, glossy image titled Miracle Girl Levai-tan. It was unmistakably Serafall. My gaze moved slowly over the poster, heat rising in my cheeks. She was wrapped up by shiny pink tentacles that were actively tearing away her sparkling costume, exposing large, perfectly shaped breasts.
I stood frozen in place, my heartbeat quickening as I stared at it. After a moment, I felt Serafall step closer to me. When I turned to face her, she was grinning proudly.
"Yep, that's the newest promotional poster for my show! Season 13!" she declared enthusiastically, clearly pleased by my reaction. "The fans are absolutely going to love it!"
I swallowed awkwardly, feeling both embarrassed and strangely intrigued at the same time. "Wait-your show actually has nudity?" I asked, my voice coming out hoarse and uncertain.
Serafall smirked mischievously, raising her eyebrows as if my question amused her. "Harry, sweetie, it's a devil show," she said clearly, as if that explained everything. "Of course it has nudity. My show actually has sex scenes in every single episode! Devils don't have the same hang-ups as humans when it comes to stuff like that!"
Before I could even process that shocking piece of information, the office door swung open suddenly, interrupting our conversation. I turned my head sharply as a tall, beautiful blonde woman strode briskly into the room. She wore a stylish black business suit that hugged tightly against her curvy figure. She had on professional-looking glasses perched on her nose, giving her an air of seriousness and authority.
