Star Child

In mid-August, Hogwarts School, fifth floor.

The librarian, Irma Pince, was a somewhat thin woman who had worked at Hogwarts for more than twenty years. Having spent so long working in the sunless library, her skin had a pallid cast.

In contrast, her voice was rich, full, and resonant.

"This is the office Dumbledore arranged for you, Mr. Jones," she said.

Muen's voice came from the dim corridor, followed by a figure with a cat's head.

After giving it some thought, Muen had decided that since he was at Hogwarts, surrounded by wizards, there was no need to hide his appearance.

Just like Porco.

He was somewhat surprised. "I get an office too?"

Pince explained, "Of course. Hogwarts has plenty of rooms and classrooms. Every professor and staff member has their own office and quarters."

As she spoke, she handed him a brass key. "Would you like to see your future accommodations first, or learn about the job first?"

Muen accepted the key. "Let's see the library first."

Hearing that, she turned and walked briskly away. "The library is on the fifth floor, right next door to you. Oh, by the way, can you repair books?"

Muen followed behind her. "A little. Of course, if they're texts containing particularly unique Dark Magic, they may be more troublesome."

Pince could not help but let out a sigh of relief. "That's wonderful. To be honest, some children simply don't know how to take care of books.

Watching those books gradually grow old and lose pages in the hands of generation after generation of young people... sometimes it truly breaks my heart!"

"I completely understand. Books are vessels of knowledge, and knowledge is what should never be defiled." Muen nodded in agreement.

Pince shook her head repeatedly, looking deeply regretful. "Yes. Though I sternly demand that they take better care of them, I cannot keep watch over everyone at all times. As a result, by the time many damaged books are discovered, it is already too late to restore them with spells."

Muen could tell that whenever Pince spoke about books, she became far more talkative.

Perhaps it could no longer simply be described as caring for books.

It was respect. She respected them.

After turning a corner, Muen soon entered the Hogwarts library under her guidance.

Bookshelves two or three people tall stood in neat rows, with brass plaques on their outer sides marking the various categories. Transfiguration, Charms, History of Magic, Magical Creatures...

With her hands on her hips, Pince introduced the place proudly. "This is the most richly stocked library in all of Europe. We even have every issue of Transfiguration Today since its first publication.

Don't be fooled by how small these books look on the shelves. That is because they have all been placed under a Shrinking Charm for storage. Once you take them off the shelf, they will quickly return to their original size."

As she spoke, she led Muen deeper into the library.

"As for the work, you just need to watch these young wizards and keep an eye on them when they get noisy.

I handle book loans myself.

And you needn't worry about cleaning. House-elves come to clean every night."

"Hogwarts has House-elves?!" Muen was rather surprised. Hogwarts: A History had not mentioned that.

"Yes, but ordinary people rarely see them. A House-elf that goes unnoticed is a good House-elf!" Pince nodded.

"All right. It seems that, just as Dumbledore said, this job... is very leisurely!"

"And repairing books!" Pince reminded him.

Muen could not help but laugh. "I will. Back when I used to rob... collect books, I often came across damaged ancient texts. So, not to be too modest, I'm very skilled at repairing books!"

Hearing the confidence in Muen's words, Pince was genuinely pleased as well. She nodded. "That's excellent, then. In that case, I won't disturb you any longer.

You can go arrange your office now. Of course, you may also take a look around Hogwarts first if you wish."

Muen nodded and returned to the front of his office, using the brass key to unlock the door that belonged to him.

Apart from a brand-new desk and chair, the spacious office contained nothing else.

It was utterly empty.

Muen casually looked it over, then noticed a curtain at the back of the office. Beyond it was a corridor only a meter or two long, with another wooden door at the end.

When he opened it, he found his quarters and a private washroom.

After checking that there were no issues, Muen closed the door again and took out a piece of Silver Chalk.

"Should I tell Dumbledore first..." Muen suddenly thought of it. He could sense the magical formations permeating every inch of the castle.

Complex, ever-changing, yet seamlessly integrated.

"Forget it. I'll try it first..."

With that thought, he held the Silver Chalk and drew a somewhat twisted star rune upon the door.

Though Lucifer was always saying things about being a demon, in truth, neither he nor Calcifer, who had made a contract with Hal, were Star Children unwilling to fade away.

Once the rune was complete, Muen gently placed his hand at its center and began to activate the formation.

The next instant, overflowing starlight burst from the rune's lines like brilliant sparks and embers.

The wooden door began shaking violently, the pounding sounds spreading from here all the way into the corridor.

An unseen wind whipped Muen's robes with a loud flutter, yet he remained standing lightly before the door.

A moment later, the starlight faded.

He slowly pulled the door open. When he looked again, the scene before him had become the first floor of Moonlight Castle.

Lucifer extended himself from the fireplace and shook his head bitterly. "This castle is like a living thing... We simply can't become compatible with it."

As he spoke, the gap in the doorway began to crack, stretch, and split apart inch by inch.

Muen nodded. "I'll ask Dumbledore."

As he spoke, the distance between him and the room gradually lengthened until, with a boom, space twisted.

Moonlight Castle was once again rejected from this place.

Muen scratched his head helplessly, walked out of the office, and looked at the paintings along the corridor wall...

He greeted a girl in a green dress who was having a spring picnic. "Hello, sorry to disturb you. Do you happen to know where Dumbledore's office is?"

"The gargoyle on the third floor is the entrance to the Headmaster's Office." She stood up and slightly lifted her skirt in greeting before asking, "Are you a new teacher?"

"Not really. I'm just a staff member," Muen said.

"Then I'll take you there. Hogwarts' corridors are rather complicated, and they change at any time."

"Won't that interrupt your picnic?" Muen asked.

An awkward smile appeared on the girl's face. "I've been having this picnic for one hundred and thirty-five years."

"Uh... all right. Thank you for the trouble."

As she spoke, the girl passed through the frame first and entered a neighboring painting of a church service, where she waved lightly. "This way!"

The fat friar leading the service held a Bible, his face full of anger. "Heavens, Cendrillon, don't make such a racket in church!!"

"Hehe." The girl hopped away and hurried into the next frame. It was a huge portrait as tall as a person, and her figure became the size of an ordinary human.

At the same time, she greeted the man in ancient formal attire posing in the painting. "Good afternoon, Sir Earnest."

"Good afternoon, Cendrillon!" the knight said with a smile, dipping his head slightly.

Muen followed her the entire way, watching her cheerfully greet every figure in every painting they passed while constantly reminding him which way to go.

"You're very lively," Muen praised.

Cendrillon stood in a golden wheat field, borrowed the straw hat of a gleaning woman, and put it on her head. She smiled. "Lively? Sorry, I don't really understand."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't understand what being lively means. My painter gave me everything. Under his brush, this is how I was meant to be. To me, it is merely instinct. Good afternoon, Lady Lian!"

"Do you have memories?" Muen asked again.

"Of course, but not many. I can only remember things from the past few weeks."

"Then can you think?"

Cendrillon's eyes curved as she revealed a sly smile. "Why do you think I volunteered to take you to the entrance of the Headmaster's Office on the third floor?"

As she spoke, they soon arrived before the gargoyle on the third floor.

"I'll go up and announce you. If permission is granted, I'll bring back the password."

After leaving those final words, she vanished.

"That... Mr. Cat!" A somewhat flustered voice suddenly called out. Muen followed the sound and saw that it was a knight battling an evil dragon.

"What is it?"

The knight raised a hand to stop the dragon. "Wait a moment!"

Only then did he turn around, panting slightly. "You should stay away from that girl."

"Why?" Muen found this strange.

"As a painting, she has gradually begun to cross the line," the knight said.

"Cross the line?"

"Yes. Humans have their boundaries, and those in paintings do as well. You should stay away from her. A painting that crosses the line brings misfortune."

"What does that mea—"

"Sorry, it's difficult to explain. It is something among us paintings."

After saying that, the knight turned back around and beckoned to the enormous Red Dragon. "Let's begin!"

The Red Dragon nodded, then breathed fire as the knight hastily raised his shield...