A sensation like his entire body being crushed under a wheel overwhelmed all of Jon's senses. The nausea and pain, as if he were about to be flattened, churned his stomach. As his feet finally touched solid ground after less than a second of weightlessness, Jon couldn't hold back any longer and doubled over, clutching his stomach, dry heaving.
"Feeling unsettled during your first Apparition is only natural. Sit down and have some hot chocolate; it might make you feel a bit better," Lily's cool, yet caring, voice sounded beside him.
Jon took a breath, accepted the warm cup from her, and looked down at it as though he were taking a sip, though he didn't let his lips touch the liquid. Steeling himself against the discomfort, he focused on his surroundings.
They were in a small wooden cabin. The room was sparsely furnished, with only a fireplace, two worn armchairs around it, and a grimy wooden table—clearly a makeshift safe house for temporary rest. Through a narrow window, he could see lush trees outside, indicating they were in a remote area.
Holding the untouched cup, Jon looked over at Lily, who was using her wand to coax the weak flames in the fireplace into a stronger blaze. Now, he could finally observe the woman who, by all accounts, should have died a decade ago.
She was undoubtedly a beautiful woman, though her deep red hair was a bit disheveled, her face slightly pale, as though from lack of sleep, and her eyes set deep in her face. Her oversized gray robe made her look especially thin.
Noticing his gaze, Lily met his eyes with the vivid green that one Potions professor in the books would have recalled with great affection.
Jon took a deep breath and asked his first question since arriving at the safe house, his expression serious.
"Now that I escaped with you, will Mrs. Chris and the others be in danger?" Though he didn't feel a deep connection to the orphanage, Mrs. Chris, the headmistress, had provided him food, shelter, and care for over a year. Deep down, Jon didn't want those who had helped him to suffer because of him.
Lily glanced up at him, her previously still, almost lifeless eyes softening slightly.
"The people who wanted to take you have done all sorts of wicked things in the past, but since they seized control of the magical world, their master no longer allows them to kill casually. They'll simply erase any memory of you from the minds of everyone at the orphanage and remove all traces of your existence. No one close to you will be harmed."
Hearing this, Jon finally relaxed a bit, his grip on the cup loosening slightly.
"You seem far more mature than your age—more like an adult than an eleven-year-old child," Lily observed, her eyes still fixed on him.
It was an offhand comment, but Jon took it without flinching, blinking as he replied, "Kids growing up in orphanages tend to learn a bit more than most. Though, it's not exactly something to brag about."
Lily fell silent, her expression suddenly shifting to one of sadness, as though she were recalling something painful. But the quiet didn't last long; her face soon returned to its usual calm and distant look as she spoke again.
"Barty Crouch explained the basics of your situation to you back at the orphanage. At least, he didn't lie about you being a wizard. I don't need to repeat it. But I know you have many more questions beyond that. Fortunately, we have time until nightfall, and I'll try to answer them."
"But before I give you an official introduction, I have a question for you." Lily's expression remained mostly unchanged, but her tone grew a bit more serious.
"Why, when you heard the name Barty Crouch, did you so decisively choose to come with me? Did you know him before?"
Jon's expression didn't waver. After arriving at this safe house, he had anticipated that Lily would eventually ask him this question if she was truly trustworthy. So he had already prepared an answer in his mind. Based on her current demeanor, she didn't seem overly suspicious or guarded, which allowed Jon to relax a little.
He wasn't sure if this Lily could use Legilimency, the magic to read minds. Although wizards on the "good" side seldom used it on others—especially on a child—if things were dire enough, even a morally upright wizard wouldn't hesitate to probe someone's mind. Fortunately, Jon's behavior hadn't given her any reason to go that far yet, but he still needed to explain himself logically.
"I don't know him," Jon said, meeting Lily's gaze steadily. "But from the moment I saw him, I could tell he wasn't as friendly as he seemed."
"The more he praised the magic school, the more I felt he was lying. And the letter of acceptance he wanted me to sign—except for the title, I couldn't read a single word. Who knows if, by signing it, I'd actually be going to school or just signing myself away? I never planned to go with him, but he's a grown man who knows magic, and I'm just a kid, so I couldn't exactly refuse outright. When you appeared, you gave me another option. Even if it was also a dangerous choice, it was still safer than going with him. That's why I asked his name to distract him and then ran with you."
Jon's explanation was well-reasoned and mostly true, with only the last part being a slight fabrication. Without peering into his mind, it would be nearly impossible to detect the lie.
Lily, of course, didn't "dissect" his brain, but she did give him a strange look, continuing to stare at him in silence until Jon grew uncomfortable under her gaze.
Finally, she spoke.
"I've never met any eleven-year-old quite like you…"
She seemed to struggle for the right words, and Jon took the chance to suggest, "Clever?"
"No. More like a young, fresh-faced spirit with the mind of someone centuries old, filled with twists and turns."
Jon's face froze.
They'd only just met. Did she really have to insult him in such a roundabout way, implying he was some sort of ancient monster?