Going Home
Before we knew it, the sun had turned into a sunset, and the crimson sunset swept across the tall buildings.
The steel forest, shrouded in the glow of the setting sun, appeared as a dark, inky expanse, much like the dark, gloomy forest of the Forbidden Forest.
As Hogwarts pulled into the station, night fell, obscuring the sky, and the windows of the skyscrapers lit up like fireflies flitting through a steel forest.
As Wizet and Cedric pass through the wall, they arrive at the bustling King's Cross Station.
Instead of going into the alley, Wizet pulled her luggage outside the station and leaned against the railing, looking around.
Everything seemed to have changed. After spending so much time at Hogwarts, returning to the bustling modern city felt like stepping into another world.
"I'm going home soon!" Wizet checked his suitcase again to make sure he had everything before walking into the alley.
With a wave of the wand, the Knight Bus appeared quickly.
"Welcome aboard the Knight Bus, I'm your ticket seller Stan Shunpike..."
Wizet walked along the path with his suitcase, and the familiar model castle appeared before him.
Diana appeared first, flapping her wings and flying towards Thor, and the two owls instantly started fighting.
Looking into the distance, Wizet saw a familiar figure.
He quickened his pace; Luna seemed to have grown taller, and her pale blonde hair seemed to have grown longer as well.
When he could finally see Luna's smile clearly, he realized one thing—nothing had changed.
I haven't been home for almost half a year, and quite a few things have changed here.
The first floor features a brand new mural. Luna painted large areas of white on the wall and then outlined various animals and houses, creating a warm village after a heavy snowfall.
The Ottery St Catchpole, located in Devon, is affected by the North Atlantic Drift, so seeing snow there is a matter of luck.
With Wizet's magical skill, she still needs to continue learning how to use Weather Charm to create snowflakes covering the village.
The fireplace in the house has also changed; it's finally connected to the Floo Network, making magical travel much easier.
The recent sales of "The Quibbler" are good, Xenophilius has even replaced the Magic Printing Press;
The Magic Printing Press we are using now is made entirely of brass. It not only eliminates the "click-clack" noise, but is also much more efficient than before.
Xenophilius busier than before, and his dark circles were even deeper; just looking at his face, he could rival a raccoon.
He found a fir tree to use as a Christmas tree, placed it in the center of the living room, and let Luna hang things on it.
In addition to the essential mistletoe and Dirigible Plum, the Christmas tree also features many exquisite little sugar figurines in various shapes;
It seems that most of the characters from "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" are hanging on the tree.
The very top of the Christmas tree wasn't a shining star, but a bright red Quaffle;
A small figure stands on the Quaffle, resembling the figure of Wizet wearing a cape.
The night wind was a bit noisy, and when Wizet got up to use the restroom, she unexpectedly bumped into Xenophilius was still working.
"It's the Christmas holidays! Of course, I should spend more time with her during the day!" Xenophilius said matter-of-factly. "So we'll do it at night!"
"You know what! Switching to this printing press is such a great deal! It's incredibly quiet when it's running; Luna can't hear a thing!"
He swallowed a large gulp of Gurdyroot Tea, shivered, and his eyes, though dark-circled, shone brightly with a smug gleam.
"Mr. Lovegood, you should get some rest..." Wizet said with a sigh, "After all, there's still a long way to go, don't overwork yourself."
"Do you even need to tell me?" Xenophilius raised an eyebrow. "Your Troll story was pretty good! Luna liked it too!"
"She also helped draw a lot of illustrations... I'll try to finalize the first edition of the storybook before Christmas, as her Christmas present!"
"A Christmas present for Luna?" Wizet murmured. "Mr. Lovegood, is there anything I can do to lend a hand?"
"Of course!" Xenophilius waved his hand. "Since you're already home, why don't you take her out to play tomorrow? That way, I can start work during the day!"
"This way it will be more efficient! Anyway, we've already set up the Floo Network... It would be a waste not to use it! We'd have to pay maintenance fees every month!"
As he spoke, he looked down at the floor, as if trying to see the fireplace below through the floor, his face full of pain.
Wizet couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Then I'll take her out for a stroll tomorrow."
"Take this safe..." Xenophilius took a cloth bag out of the drawer, from which a jingling sound came from.
"There are forty-two Gold Galleon, four Silver Sickle and sixteen Bronze Knut inside. Use this money to buy some things for Christmas."
"Remember to buy Luna a Christmas present... give it to her in your name; don't let them find out when you buy it, give her a surprise!"
"You don't need to pay me back the rest of the money... You can use it to buy yourself a Christmas present, or as pocket money for the next semester, no problem."
Seeing him wearing a tattered robe and hunching over as he made plans, Wizet felt both amused and touched.
Actually, he didn't need to worry about the gift. He started preparing Luna's Christmas present as soon as Wizet received Grindelwald's Notes.
However, Wizet understood that the money was a token of his appreciation, so he kept it. "Mr. Lovegood, I will make good use of it!"
Xenophilius said with relief, "Alright! Go and get some rest!"
"Mr. Lovegood, you should get some rest too. Good night!"
There's been no sign of snow these past few days, and the sky has been clear and cloudless. When I help Luna fertilize, my inner lining gets damp with sweat.
"It might snow in a couple of days," Luna said softly. "They're preparing for it!"
"I think so too." Wizet. "Why don't we go to London first? The Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley, and you'll be starting school next year."
When he got back to his room last night, he spent some time making plans and finalizing his to-do list and itinerary for today.
"I need to buy new clothes. Could you help Mr. Lovegood pick out a few? His robe has holes in it."
"Okay!" Luna nodded, her eyebrows and eyes curving like crescent moons, which was very beautiful.
Floo Network is indeed a good way to travel, but in the blink of an eye, the two of them walked out of the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron.
"Mr. Tom, Merry Christmas!"
Wizet nodded toward a spot not far away and led Luna to the small courtyard behind the bar.
"Ah! Merry Christmas!" Bald Old Tom put down his wine glass, a smile playing on his thin lips. "It's been so long, you've come to buy something?"
"Yes."
Wizet gave a brief reply, then picked up her wand and tapped it against the wall.
Watching Wizet and Luna leave, Old Tom wiped his wine glass again.
"It's so good to be young!"