Deep within the Scandinavian Mountains, atop a cliff, the evening wind swept past.
Moonlight pierced the thin clouds and spilled into the forest. In the distance, the roar of some unknown beast startled a flock of night birds into flight. Mu En stood upon the cliff, taking in the grandeur of nature.
Beside him, the Moonpetal Flower surrounded by an intricate silver array swayed gently. Its thousand-layered petals looked as though they had been draped in a veil of silver beneath the moonlight.
Mu En raised both hands and slowly closed his eyes, beginning to chant a spell as he activated the array.
In an instant, the moon hanging high above seemed to shift from casting its radiance aimlessly across the world to focusing its attention uniquely upon this place.
Vast amounts of moonlight gradually gathered here, pouring into the Moonpetal Flower like a whirlpool.
The moon, Luna, came from Latin. In mysticism, it corresponded to the metal silver and carried an associated sense of madness. The Moonpetal Flower, which absorbed moonlight, was likewise a primary ingredient in the Eclipse Elixir.
At that moment, the veil on Mu En's face had disappeared, returning him to his cat-headed appearance. He needed to hasten the brewing of the Eclipse Elixir and use its madness to strike at himself and break the curse.
The moonlit night was tranquil. The flowing radiance inadvertently drew many creatures to gather nearby, yet all of them feared the terrifying aura around Mu En and dared not approach.
Several hours later, the moonlight gradually faded. Mu En opened his eyes, looked at the three blooming Moonpetal Flowers atop the flower cluster, and smiled.
Although those little brats had destroyed quite a few, three flowers were already enough for the potion.
If today's accident had not happened, he would not have wanted to ripen the Moonpetal Flowers all at once.
After picking all three Moonpetal Flowers, Mu En returned to the castle.
The castle's basement was an entirely different world. It contained far too many specialized rooms, each with its own unique purpose: storage, collections, alchemy, potions, a library, and more.
When he entered the potion room, his gaze fell upon the cauldron bubbling away on the central table.
The potion was bright red and exceptionally thick. After adding the three Moonpetal Flowers, Mu En began to stir.
Lucifer's face suddenly emerged from the flames beneath the cauldron.
There were many fire channels throughout the castle. The kitchen, potion room, alchemy room, and even the hot water in the washroom were all his responsibility.
"Turn up the heat," Mu En said blandly.
The flames around Lucifer grew hotter, while concern appeared on his face. "Mu En, I still think you're being a little extreme."
He was naturally referring to Mu En using the madness in the Eclipse Elixir to strike at his curse.
"Am I? I think it's a novel idea worth trying." Mu En smiled, utterly unconcerned.
After brewing it for a long while longer, he lifted the cauldron and set it aside. Once it had rested for some time, he removed the cloudy liquid from the top. What remained at the bottom, thick as gel, was the Eclipse Elixir he needed.
After taking out the potion, he returned to the first floor and sat on his red leather sofa. He settled into position before the fireplace and drained the potion in one gulp.
As the potion entered his stomach, he felt his spirituality shudder. A full moon seemed to emerge in his mind, followed by boundless darkness. A strange eclipse silently appeared within his thoughts...
Standing before Number 4, Privet Drive, Harry recalled everything he had experienced today. He felt as though he had gone through an extraordinarily marvelous adventure like a hero from a story. Even though he was about to face the Dursleys, he felt he could meet their bullying and humiliation with a smile.
Of course, that was only wishful thinking.
Harry patted his face, hiding his excitement and joy. Then his expression shifted back into the same miserable look as always.
As long as the Dursleys saw him like that, they would be pleased, holding their heads high and puffing out their chests as though they were victorious knights displaying their pride and arrogance.
Conversely, if Harry was happy, they would not be so pleased. Accordingly, the Dursleys would make things even harder for him.
The first rule for getting along with the Dursleys: never smile in front of them.
He had learned that from experience.
Creak—
The old wooden door gave an unpleasant groan. When he pushed it open, soft yellow light spilled out, forming a stark contrast with the darkness outside. The house was clearly much warmer, like a cozy little home.
But to Harry, it was not warm at all...
"I'm back," Harry said.
Aunt Petunia came through the hallway, and her expression immediately changed. "You damned little bastard, get over here right now."
Her words were full of disgust, and her voice was piercing. Harry suddenly thought of Mu En. Compared with a real wizard like him, Aunt Petunia was far more like the evil old witch from a legend.
"Tell me, was it you who did that to Dudley's face?" Uncle Vernon stepped forward as well, staring fixedly at Harry by the door. Their shadows stretched long behind them, pressing down upon his frail body even from a distance.
"It had nothing to do with me." Harry flatly denied Uncle Vernon's accusation. Vernon's face turned red, like a kettle about to boil over.
"You brat, and... and I heard from Petunia that you even crushed the neighbor's rare plants." Vernon strode over and grabbed Harry by the collar.
"Oh, heavens. If they hadn't been so kind, I can't imagine how much debt you would have saddled this family with." Petunia looked utterly distressed.
"I didn't. It had nothing to do with me," Harry argued weakly.
Uncle Vernon was beside himself with rage. The moment he had come home, he had been told everything that had happened today. It had left him with no appetite for dinner, and he had simply waited for the boy to return.
"Do you have even the slightest gratitude toward us?" Uncle Vernon roared. Before Harry could resist, he opened the cupboard door and threw him inside.
Bang—
The door was slammed shut.
Click. A small flap on the door opened, and Uncle Vernon's tiny eyes, squeezed small by the fat on his face, appeared through it. He snarled, "From today onward, every moment you're in this house, you'll be confined."
With that, he left without another word, as though Harry had become a rat and was no longer worth speaking to.
Harry brushed a spider that had been knocked onto his pillow away, dusted things off, and leaned weakly against the bed made of wooden boards. Then he thought of Moonlight Castle.
That magical castle had left him longing to return. Honestly, even if he had to work there as a handyman for the rest of his life, it would still be better than being locked up here.
He found himself looking forward to tomorrow. It would be busy, but compared to being scolded while doing chores at the Dursley Residence or bullied by Dudley and his gang of friends, what did it matter how exhausting the work was?
With that thought, he fell soundly asleep without even taking off his glasses.
Yet it felt as though he had barely slept when a tremendous pounding on the door jolted him awake.
"Get up! Time to get up! Hurry!"
Aunt Petunia was pounding on his door again.
"Get up!" she shrieked. "How long do you plan to sleep? Don't forget, you still need to go to work."
Harry pushed himself up, mumbled something, and opened the door.
"Hurry up and wash," Aunt Petunia urged.
Harry glanced outside. Dawn had only just broken, and he could hear Dudley snoring from where he stood. Clearly, he had been woken unusually early today.
Only then did he realize something. The Dursleys had no intention of feeding him. Oh, yes, after yesterday's lunch and dinner, they had confirmed that the gentleman living at Number 13, Privet Drive was rich and kind.
He would be responsible for feeding that little brat. It was not something they needed to worry about.
Surely he would not let that poor child go without food.
Harry had already understood the Dursleys' intentions. Whether he felt embarrassed or not, Aunt Petunia had driven him out of the house like a puppy.
It had, unsurprisingly, rained lightly throughout the night again. The morning wind was still rather cold. Harry wrapped his clothes tighter around himself and stood outside Number 13, Privet Drive.
He did not know whether Uncle Mu En was awake yet. Would he be disturbing him if he went over now?
If he went in now, it would be blatantly obvious that he was hoping to mooch a breakfast. Would that make him look like a beggar? Would Uncle Mu En dislike him?
Uncle Mu En had already been so kind. Both yesterday's lunch and dinner had been incredibly lavish, the best food Harry had ever eaten in his life.
He had clearly come here to work and make amends, but then he suddenly wanted even more...
Countless tangled thoughts burst into Harry's mind, intertwining until they left him restless and confused. Yet every one of those thoughts asked the same question... Do I deserve this? Will Uncle Mu En dislike me for this?
Creak—
Just as Harry was lost in turmoil, the door to Number 13, Privet Drive slowly opened, revealing the dark, shadowy interior. The only source of light was Lucifer burning in the fireplace.
"What are you squatting outside for? Looking for gnomes?" Lucifer asked curiously.
Harry smiled. Although Moonlight Castle was dark and shadowy, he felt it was ten thousand times warmer than the Dursley Residence, which had seemed so warm and gentle yesterday.
"If you're looking for gnomes, you can come in and get a bottle of Sniffing Water. That stuff attracts gnomes really well. It can draw them all out at once," Lucifer continued unhurriedly.
Harry got to his feet and walked inside. "No, Mr. Lucifer. I was just..."
??
He saw the figure lying on the red sofa, and his words abruptly stopped.
The clothes belonged to Uncle Mu En.
The build was Uncle Mu En's too.
But why... was he a cat?!!
Harry achieved his first shock of the day within five seconds of entering the house.
Before you continue