The next day was Christmas Eve. Every household had hung Christmas baubles and string lights before their doors, while lawns were dotted with gift decorations and little fir trees.
When Harry stepped outside, he was surprised to see Uncle Mu En holding a snow shovel and clearing away the piled-up snow.
As Harry approached, he heard Uncle Mu En muttering to himself.
"I wonder if Saint Nicholas can fight... If he existed in this era... I'd rob him of every last one of his presents..."
Harry felt rather embarrassed. Saint Nicholas was the legendary Santa Claus, and also a renowned wizard.
"Uncle Mu En," Harry greeted him.
Mu En looked up and nodded. "Happy Christmas Eve." As he spoke, he handed the snow shovel directly to Harry and smiled. "Sorry, no holiday."
"I understand." Harry smiled as he took the shovel and got to work.
"Hurry up and clear the snow. We'll decorate the house after breakfast," Mu En said, then walked inside.
Before long, he was dressed again and called out to Harry from the doorway, "I'm making a trip to Diagon Alley."
With that, he vanished before Harry's eyes.
Half an hour later, when he reappeared, he brought back many Christmas decorations commonly used by wizards, as well as plenty of candy.
That night, the entire castle had been transformed. Lucifer had parked it atop a mountain, and snowflakes drifted endlessly down, placing white caps upon the castle.
Inside the castle, everything was warm and peaceful. Roast chicken sizzled with oil, its aroma wafting through the crisp golden skin, while all kinds of other dishes were laid out on the table.
"To magic." Mu En was the first to raise his cup and clink it against Harry's.
"By the way, Uncle Mu En, the castle's been traveling for so long. Where are we going?" Harry asked.
"Lorland Village," Mu En said. "It's a village in the Scandinavian Mountains inhabited half by wizards and half by ordinary people."
Lucifer added from the cupboard, "We're almost there. About one more day of travel."
The castle did not move particularly fast. Most of the time, it traveled at an unhurried pace, like an old man taking a stroll, exactly like Lucifer's lazy manner.
In any case, no one was in a hurry.
"What are we going there for?" Harry asked curiously.
Mu En smiled. "That village is said to have a history of a thousand years. There might be some ancient inheritance related to Runes there."
At that, Harry immediately recalled what he knew about Runes.
Runic symbols were an extremely important branch of Ancient Runes. At Hogwarts, Runes were included in the Ancient Runes elective offered in third year.
Legend had it that in Germanic mythology, Odin, the father of the gods, traded his right eye for the wisdom of Runes in order to obtain the Well of Wisdom.
He then hung himself from a tree for nine days and nine nights, pondering the wisdom of Runes day and night. When he descended from the tree, he had comprehended Runes.
People also gained magical power by studying these symbols.
"Of course, it's only a possibility. I'm not counting on it. I originally intended to head south, since the climate there would be warmer and more pleasant. This village just happens to be along the way," Mu En added.
Just then, Lucifer suddenly rose up.
Before Harry could react, the castle doors were smashed open with a bang!!
In an instant, the peaceful, comfortable atmosphere within the castle was shredded by the howling gale of the snowy mountain night, and snow surged inside in a rush.
"Who dares smash my door?!" Lucifer erupted in enormous flames. The castle's fire pipes let out a wail, while tongues of fire shot straight from the chimneys.
"Oh, what... sort of magical construct is this?" a shrill, aged voice came from the darkness outside.
"It's too cold outside. May we come in and sit for a while?" another unpleasant voice asked.
Before any of them could speak, Harry saw the newcomers.
They were a group of short goblins with pointed noses and long fingers.
"Strange." Mu En tilted his head, looking at the goblins gathered by the door in confusion.
"Are you an illegal goblin group?"
"Illegal? Heh heh. You've got a cat's head, so I don't feel like talking to you much," the goblin said, looking at Mu En with both confusion and contempt.
"They are?" Harry looked to Mu En uncertainly.
Mu En lifted his chin slightly, signaling Harry to look at their hands.
Though they were goblins, they held human wizards' wands. Harry immediately understood where they came from.
After the Second Goblin War ended, some goblins accepted the Ministry of Magic's terms and founded Gringotts. Some roamed the gray areas as independents.
And some others...
Formed illegal goblin organizations, intending to restore their nation. Back then, they had even been recruited by Voldemort alongside giants, werewolves, vampires, and other demi-human groups, all in an attempt to overthrow the Wizarding World.
Harry frowned and glared at the goblins entering the castle.
Mu En's nose twitched. He had already caught the scent of blood on them.
"You came from Lorland Village?" Mu En looked at the goblins.
Unexpectedly, one goblin pushed through the crowd from the rear. His face was fierce, filled with hatred.
"Enough nonsense! Those Vikings are about to kill their way here. Hurry up and take this place. Cast an invisibility spell so we can hide here for a while," the goblin said directly.
As soon as he finished speaking, a spell shot straight toward Harry.
"Looks like extremists." Mu En sighed, and then vanished.
When he reappeared, he stood before the spell. With a slight push of his hand, an invisible shield nullified it.
Then Mu En swept his hand sideways. A tremendous force surged from within the house, blasting every goblin out.
By the time Harry came back to his senses, the house was already completely empty.
Outside the castle, atop the mountain!
In the blizzard, Mu En's clothes snapped violently in the wind. His eyes had narrowed into vertical slits, and to him, night was as bright as day.
"Avada Kedavra!"
A beam of green light shot straight at Mu En. It was the goblin who had attacked earlier, now looking at Mu En with a savage, triumphant expression.
Mu En shifted lightly through the air, sweeping his gaze over the surrounding goblins.
"I was wondering why you didn't just Apparate away," he said softly, then shook his head.
"Never mind... It just so happens that I haven't truly tested some of what I gained from analyzing Thales's Manuscript over the past few months..."
As he spoke, he slowly raised both hands. Clumps of black mist began to churn between them.
Thales, foremost of the Seven Sages of Ancient Greece, was the first wizard in the history of Ancient Greek Magic whose name had been recorded. He founded the Milesian School, also known as the Ionian School.
In that era, when spellcasters were still making primitive explorations into the laws of the world, Thales had pioneered the first identification, analysis, and anchoring of a single set of laws from the boundless stars.
Water.
And he put forth the audacious claim that "All things originate from water."
Mu En's eyes were black as an abyss. Somehow, the snow in the sky had already stopped, yet the black clouds that seemed capable of collapsing the heavens had not dispersed. The wind only grew fiercer, like blades scraping flesh from bone.
Some goblins trembled in place, their legs shaking. Others, braver ones, tried to flee or attack that towering figure.
Mu En brought his hands together, and the churning black clouds between them vanished. Yet everyone knew the thunderclouds were still there,
Above the heavens!!
As he pressed both hands downward, he slowly chanted the incantation:
Storm and Rain
Storm of Wind and Rain—
Before you continue