The Baby Thunderbird tilted its head, staring wide-eyed at the astonished Xenophilius Lovegood.
"Cheep-cheep!" It raised its voice and called to Xenophilius a few times, which counted as a greeting.
"Hmm..." Xenophilius came back to himself as well. He blinked, first looking at the Baby Thunderbird that had already flown off into the distance, then at Vizet not far away.
"Hmm?" He hummed in confusion again, his gaze shifting to the clock on the wall before turning back to Vizet. With uncertainty in his voice, he asked, "Vizet?"
"Good afternoon, Mr. Lovegood!" Vizet waved his Wand, making the roasting pan land on the table. The roasted ham was still making a sizzling sound.
"Father!" Luna carried the cheese-topped baked potatoes to the dining table. "Lunch still needs a little while. We made a few extra dishes!"
"Yes! The honey-glazed ham still has to wait a bit before it can be carved!" Dobby said, his face brimming with excitement. "Vizet and Luna both helped Dobby! They are all great family!"
"And... and Mr. Lovegood!" He suddenly remembered something and quickly added, "Dobby thinks Mr. Lovegood is great too!"
"Dobby, thank you for saying I'm great..." Xenophilius coughed twice. "It's just that you don't need to say the 'and' out loud..."
"Oh!" Dobby hurriedly corrected himself. "Mr. Lovegood is also a great dummy."
Xenophilius nodded in satisfaction. "That's right!"
He took off his robe and casually hung it on the standing coat rack.
Noticing the brilliant sunlight spilling in through the window, he stretched out his arms and took a slow, leisurely stretch. "At last, some good weather! It was raining and snowing all day a while ago. It was really—"
"Merlin's beard!" he suddenly cried out.
"Father, what's wrong?" Luna hurried forward and supported Xenophilius. "Did you twist your back?"
"It's...