Hogwarts: I'm Truly a Model Wizard

After some persuasion from Kyle and a handful of fresh herbs, Fawkes gradually calmed down. Turning his grief into an appetite, he focused on eating the herbs, and Kyle couldn't resist reaching out to gently rub the feathers on his neck. This was the first time Kyle had properly petted a Phoenix… how to describe it? The feathers were a bit stiff, not as fluffy and soft as an owl's, yet they felt nice. They were delicate and smooth, a little warm to the touch—like a gold Galleon freshly taken from a vault.

When Fawkes finished the herbs, he spread his wings and flew toward the window. Kyle thought he was preparing to leave, but Fawkes only flew to the windowsill, where he perched beside Ratton, folded his wings, and began to doze, looking content and drowsy after a good meal.

Ratton, who had been fast asleep, woke with a start. He glanced at his unexpected guest, his neck feathers bristling. With a quick, silent gesture, he shifted over, making room for Fawkes.

Kyle watched Ratton expressionlessly, then shrugged with disdain. This dumb bird, he thought. Whenever it's in a bad mood, if another owl so much as glances its way, it'll chase them down and beat them senseless. But now? Total coward!

Ratton seemed to catch Kyle's expression and turned away silently, choosing to ignore him. He wanted to stand his ground, but the other bird was covered in red feathers, radiating a presence that clearly said it was not to be trifled with. Better to endure and avoid trouble.

The two birds stood on the windowsill, each on their own side, looking unexpectedly harmonious. Kyle sat down at the table and glanced at a box not far away. Judging by Fawkes's behavior, he didn't seem to be leaving anytime soon. And with Fawkes here, Kyle definitely couldn't meet Riddle for extra lessons. Even though a Phoenix might not necessarily recognize a Horcrux, what if it did? And if it knew, it would be as good as Dumbledore knowing.

Kyle had promised to give the diary to Dumbledore, but only once it was no longer useful—not just yet. But if he couldn't take the lessons, there wasn't much else to do. The Phoenix didn't like crowds, so taking him out to play Quidditch wasn't an option, but Kyle didn't want to leave him home alone either. He couldn't spend the whole day in his room studying magical formulas. Now that his magical studies had advanced beyond the elementary stage, progressing through independent reading alone, without Riddle's guidance, felt inefficient. A bit of a waste of time.

As he mulled this over, Kyle's gaze landed on the suitcase beside him. After a moment's thought, he walked over to the windowsill.

"Fawkes, how about we go out for some fresh air?"

Fawkes opened his eyes.

"Newt Scamander… I think you know where he lives?" Kyle asked.

Fawkes nodded. He was privy to all that Dumbledore knew; otherwise, he wouldn't have been sent to deliver a letter to Nicolas Flamel. Naturally, Newt's place was no exception.

"Perfect," Kyle said. "How about you take me there?"

Fawkes looked Kyle up and down, hesitating. Kyle, thinking he didn't want to go, quickly held up two fingers.

"Two Lady's Mantles and one Puffapod."

This time, Fawkes didn't hesitate. Without another sound, he flew onto Kyle's shoulder, letting out a chirp that held a hint of anticipation.

"One moment…" Kyle quickly grabbed the suitcase, stuffing in his belongings and a box he'd prepared in advance. "Alright, now there's no prob—"

Before he could finish, Kyle vanished from the room in a sudden, flame-like flash of light.

On the windowsill, Ratton, who had just dozed off again, was startled awake once more. This time was even worse—a mysterious gust of wind swept him straight out the window, as if he'd been kicked. Ratton flapped around in mid-air, circling several times before managing to fly back up, just barely avoiding a fall.

No… this can't be happening!

Fuming, Ratton flapped back to the windowsill, ready to confront his owner. But he quickly noticed… the room was empty. Not only was Kyle gone, but the "redhead" who'd just shown up was gone too.

All that remained were overturned tables and chairs, bookshelves askew, and parchment scattered across the floor. Ratton flew around the room to make sure no one was there, then returned to the windowsill, brushed his wing over the spot where the Redhead had been, and with a yawn, settled back to sleep.

...

On the other side, the moment Fawkes transported him, Kyle felt an overwhelming pressure constricting him from all directions, leaving him unable to breathe. It was as if he'd been forced into a tight, spherical shape… like he'd been crammed into a Bludger and then smacked around by merciless Beaters all day. After an indeterminate period, his senses gradually returned to his body.

Kyle opened his bloodshot eyes. He felt a wave of nausea, but his stomach was twisted too tightly to let him vomit. All he could do was take deep gulps of the forest air, heavy with the earthy scent of soil.

"Relax," a gentle voice spoke beside him.

It was Newt, who offered him an unfamiliar fruit and gestured for him to eat it. Kyle accepted it absently and bit down. The fruit was sour and astringent, like biting into an unripe tomato, but somehow, it immediately made him feel better.

"What… is it?" he managed to ask.

"The fruit of a Snargaluff," Newt replied with a smile. "It's also the favorite food of the Diricawl. How do you feel?"

"Much better," Kyle said, rubbing his ears. "Feels like I've used Apparition a hundred times in a row."

"That's Phoenix travel for you—simple and blunt. You're lucky you're still standing," Newt replied, handing him another piece of fruit. Kyle held it under his nose and sniffed but didn't take a bite.

He now understood that Fawkes had hesitated not because he didn't want to come, but because he was concerned about whether Kyle could handle such an intense form of travel. Unfortunately, he'd only realized this too late—after foolishly promising two Lady's Mantles and a Puffapod...

"This kind of travel is probably only suitable for Professor Dumbledore," Kyle muttered.

"In fact…" Newt said, smiling at Kyle, "although Dumbledore has to attend various meetings across different locations, he typically opts for Apparition or a Portkey. Only in cases of extreme urgency does he rely on the Phoenix's power."

Kyle rubbed his ears again, momentarily at a loss for words. Even Dumbledore couldn't adapt to this…

"But you really surprised me," Newt added with a grin as he led Kyle toward the house. "Aside from Dumbledore, Fawkes rarely ever travels with anyone else."