Preparations Before School Starts

Vizet had heard Luna mention before that there were other Wizarding Families around Ottery St Catchpole.

Molly walked ahead with a basket of vegetables in hand. "The Diggorys live nearby. Their child is much less troublesome than Fred and George."

"The Fawcetts are nearby too. I think they have a girl who'll be starting school this year as well. You might run into each other once term starts."

She was talkative and easygoing. Talking with her felt like chatting about everyday matters, with hardly any sense of distance between them.

"Ever since Mrs. Lovegood's accident, their family has kept to themselves. We haven't been in much contact these past few years."

"Luna is a good child. Her thoughts just tend to wander. Even Fred and George often can't keep up with her."

Vizet had been in this world for less than two months. Mostly, he listened to Molly, offering a response now and then.

He smiled faintly. "A lot of what Luna says is inspiring to me."

If not for Luna's protection and guidance, he would not have been able to cast that Shield Charm when he encountered the Runespoor.

"That's wonderful!" Molly looked toward the stream in the distance. "Sometimes I pass by there, and these past two years, I've often seen Luna sitting beside it."

"She would fish while crying, then run straight home the moment she saw me. For a child who hadn't even started school yet, losing someone close to her must have been hard to get used to, right?"

Molly's words struck Vizet. It felt as though his heart had skipped a beat. "It shouldn't be like that anymore."

Molly smiled. "That's truly wonderful."

Looking at her kind smile, Vizet inexplicably felt irritated—Hogwarts used a closed schooling system. Other than Summer Vacation, students could only leave during the Christmas Holiday...

Two moons appeared above the small hill.

One hung high in the sky, while the other full moon floated above the Car-Shaped Castle.

That had been Luna's mother's work, supposedly the result of some magical experiment.

From then on, the darker the sky became, the more distinct the full moon above the castle appeared.

If he observed it with the Magic Eye, would he see something unusual?

Vizet's heart stirred, and Silver-Blue Light overflowed from his eyes.

Silver-blue magic flowed like liquid, covering the entire castle. The full moon in particular contained an exceptionally dazzling concentration of silver-blue magic.

Most importantly, it was Ancient Magic Power nurtured by time. It seemed that, if he wished, he could absorb it into his eyes.

He did not do so.

At night, Luna liked to stroll on the top floor and gaze at the moon above the castle.

A thought suddenly occurred to Vizet. Had Luna's mother studied ancient magic?

"This is my first time coming here at night. It's really beautiful!" Molly suddenly said, stuffing the vegetable basket into Vizet's hands.

"I'll leave you here. These vegetables were grown at home. Give Mr. Lovegood and Luna my regards."

Vizet's eyes returned to normal. "All right, Aunt Molly. I truly don't know how to thank you."

Molly's figure vanished into the night. A fluffy owl gave a cheerful hoot and dove into Vizet's arms.

"Hooot, hooot, hooot!" The birdcage on the cauldron swayed gently, and the bronze-colored owl inside called out eagerly, as if greeting him.

Soft, light footsteps approached. Luna quietly looked at Vizet, a faint smile on her face.

"Diagon Alley was amazing, wasn't it?" Her voice was still light and airy. "Did the Nargles get to you? Once we're at school, you can write to me!"

"Hoot!" Diana the owl held her head high and hooted twice in agreement.

"Yes, I can write." Vizet smiled in relief and shook his head gently.

Luna always had this kind of magic—she could so easily ease his confusion.

Casting aside his worries, Vizet pointed at the restless owl. "What do you think this little fellow should be called?"

"What a cute little fellow. He's so lively." Luna thought for a moment. "How about Thor? The sun and moon always appear in turn."

"That's a good name."

The two of them crossed the soft grass toward the castle beneath the twin moons.

Before they knew it, it was already late August. Tomorrow was the day Hogwarts began.

A little over a month was not long, but Vizet had used the time to prepare for school and reorganize his room.

Luna had helped a great deal with that.

Or rather, she had single-handedly taken care of decorating the room.

Besides replacing the bedding and wallpaper, she had strung together Dirigible Plums as decorations for the bed curtains.

They were magical materials shaped like miniature radishes. Supposedly, spending more time around Dirigible Plums could improve one's ability to accept unusual things.

Dirigible Plums could be seen everywhere in the castle. Luna's earrings, for example, were made from them as well.

As the editor of The Quibbler, Xenophilius worked in a room filled with Dirigible Plums, supposedly so that inspiration would flow endlessly.

The second floor of the castle was especially lively. These days were The Quibbler's printing period.

The Magic Printing Press was running at full capacity, its clattering continuing from daylight until dusk.

The Wizard printing press was rather special. It was made entirely of wood, with iron plates used only to reinforce key points, resembling a spinning machine from the Industrial Revolution.

With the aid of magic, a single Magic Printing Press incorporated the functions of a folding machine, binding machine, cutting machine, and a whole series of other devices.

Xenophilius's task was simple: he only needed to design the draft, then feed it into the entrance of the printing press.

The machine would then operate automatically, printing finished magazines one after another.

The machine was not particularly efficient, however. After several days, it had printed fewer than a hundred copies of The Quibbler.

During that time, Vizet also recopied the textbooks he would need.

As the saying went, the faintest ink was better than the best memory. As he copied the textbooks, he gained a general understanding of the coming Academic Year's curriculum.

The illustrations used in the textbooks were likewise entirely handled by Luna.

She was very skilled at drawing. As long as Vizet described something aloud, she could draw the corresponding image.

She displayed an especially unparalleled talent for drawing Fantastic Beasts, rendering every creature vividly and lifelike.

"Mother and I read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them together," Luna explained with a bright smile. "I've seen all the Fantastic Beasts in it, except for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

Vizet asked, "A Crumple-Horned Snorkack? Next time I go to Flourish and Blotts, I'll look around and see if there are any books about them."

"They'll probably be hard to find." Luna looked regretful. "They're an extremely rare Fantastic Beast."

"Father told me they live in Sweden. When the time comes, I'll go find them myself and draw them."

Sweden.

Vizet made a mental note of it.

On the last night of August, Xenophilius did not cook personally. Instead, he ordered from a nearby Muggle restaurant and arranged a lavish dinner at home.

"Remember to write back often." That was his only instruction. "Share things about school with us—anything is fine... you know what I mean."

"I understand." Smiling, Vizet tossed two steaks out the window. "Then I'll have to trouble them."

The two owls turned into fluffy bolts of lightning, catching the steaks in midair and hooting twice in reply.

On the day school began, Vizet checked the Admission Letter once more and inspected the contents of his suitcase over and over before finally feeling at ease. Then he pulled the suitcase downstairs.

Luna sat in the living room. Bright sunlight streamed through the window, coating her light golden long hair in a layer of gold.

She was grooming Thor's feathers, tending every single one with meticulous care.

Vizet said softly, "I'm going to school."

"Mm!" Luna's voice was somewhat distant. "Although saying goodbye is always a little sad, every parting is preparation for the next reunion."

She handed him a lush green Gurdyroot. "If you encounter difficulties or confusion, it'll bring you good luck. Inside it... is the taste of home."

She was not wrong. Gurdyroot resembled scallions in both appearance and flavor, but only Luna's Home squeezed Gurdyroot into tea.

"It really is the taste of home—the taste that belongs only here." Vizet nodded. The gift was very much Luna's style.