Bouncing's New Friend Revealed

Before midnight, Luan once again witnessed the awakening of a Magical Tree.

The grapevine was more slender than the willow, so the range of magical fluorescence it produced was greater.

Once the fluorescence had completely contracted, a two-meter section of it became reserve wood for Wand Making.

Seeing that the moon had already slanted westward, Luan handed the Bowtruckle to Cedric, gave him a few instructions, and ran back to the dormitory alone.

Today was the day he would return to Xilin, and Luan did not want anyone else to know this secret.

Having witnessed the changes in Magical Trees twice, Luan had already grasped a method for finding them.

He believed wizards could not discover such Magical Trees because the Bowtruckles concealed that energy, making the trees look no different from ordinary ones.

Replaying everything he had seen and heard that night in his mind, Luan hurried toward the Common Room.

However, as he turned past a staircase landing, a small, scruffy ball of fur appeared.

It was Mrs. Norris.

As the capable assistant of Filch, the castle caretaker, this cat's name had already been mentioned several times by Ron and Harry.

In the dormitory, Luan often heard his roommates complain that the cat's nose was too sharp, that it could always catch people in the corridors with unerring accuracy.

Luan had never considered that he might become a rule-breaking Young Wizard who got caught, especially since he absolutely could not be the one caught tonight.

"Wail!"

Upon spotting Luan, Mrs. Norris sprang up in fright as well.

Just as she was about to go back and fetch Filch, a crisp cry rang out.

"Chirp!"

Bouncing, who had been sleeping in Luan's pocket, leaped out, its little eyes looking at Mrs. Norris in delighted surprise.

The scruffy cat abruptly stopped and turned to stare in amazement at the Niffler that had jumped out of the Young Wizard's pocket.

Bouncing's actions completely caught Luan off guard. It actually ran up to Mrs. Norris and patted the cat on the head.

The scruffy cat let out a soft meow in response.

"Meow~"

The sight left Luan deeply surprised.

Just as he was about to ask Bouncing what was going on, Filch's voice suddenly drifted up from the stairs below.

"Oh, my dear, have you found another wandering Young Wizard who has made a mistake? Don't worry~, I'm coming right away."

A wavering patch of light appeared in the dim corridor, cast by the Oil Lamp in Filch's hand.

Hearing the footsteps draw closer, Luan scooped up Bouncing and ran up another flight of stairs.

"Tell me quickly, my dear. Where has that naughty Young Wizard hidden?"

Filch's hoarse voice rang out from where Luan had just been standing, but the footsteps gradually faded away afterward.

Only after the footsteps disappeared did Luan come down from the stairs and quickly run toward Gryffindor's Common Room.

"Mrs. Norris is the new friend you made?"

After returning to the Common Room, Luan lowered his head and asked Bouncing.

The lazy little fellow stretched and answered with a chirp.

"Fine, let's go back and sleep first."

Bouncing had accompanied Luan for the past three nights, and the little fellow was exhausted now.

Luan quietly returned to the dormitory, put Bouncing back in the Treehouse Cabin, then silently lay down on his bed as well.

After returning to Xilin, Luan first caught up on some much-needed sleep. Only after he was well rested did he get up to find Uncle Neil.

When Luan had last parted with Neil, Neil had said he would ask a timber merchant about letting Luan study fruit tree sapling cultivation.

Because of the war, all timber had now become controlled goods.

Gunpowder required charcoal, and making charcoal meant cutting down trees.

Even some young saplings that had not yet matured still had to do their part for the war.

Since he had worked with Neil for seven years, the timber merchant named Merrick readily agreed to let Luan visit the forestry grounds.

The forestry grounds lay north of Xilin Town. After half a day's journey by carriage, they reached Merrick's forestry grounds when they could see a stretch of rolling low hills.

"The trees on these first four mountains were all planted within the last ten years. The ones behind them were planted by my father and are already thirty years old. Deeper in, there are Great Trees over a hundred years old, but we generally don't go there."

Merrick, seated atop his horse, introduced his family's private property with great pride.

Luan nodded and smiled in response, but his eyes kept searching for his intended target.

There were many trees in the forestry grounds, even far more varieties than in the Forbidden Forest.

After treating Luan to a fine lunch, Merrick brought over a forestry grounds ranger.

He was a middle-aged man named Zalan Knight. He held the leash of a large yellow dog, with an old-fashioned hunting rifle and bow slung across his back.

His most noticeable feature was the black eyepatch over his right eye.

"You're Neil Scarlett's nephew?"

After entering the dense forestry grounds, Zalan looked curiously at Luan beside him.

"Yes. Uncle Neil arranged for me to come to the forestry grounds this time."

"Oh, then just tell me what you want to see. I was the one who hosted Neil when he came last time. There isn't a place in these forestry grounds that I don't know."

Zalan took a drink of strong liquor from his wineskin and continued leading the way, but Luan did not answer directly.

Because he did not know whether he would be able to find a tree with magical properties.

"You want to see everything?"

After walking for half a day, Zalan put down his wineskin and stared seriously at Luan.

Seeing that Luan was completely serious and not playing around, Zalan sighed helplessly before taking the lead again.

"Fine. Luckily, there are temporary supply points for the lumberjacks on the mountain. Otherwise, we'd have to go back and prepare food."

Luan did not notice the change in Zalan's expression. He passed over the young trees that had not grown for long enough and followed the ranger deeper into the forest.

After entering the area of thirty-year-old trees, the Great Trees here had already grown lush and dense. Their thick canopies blocked out the sky so thoroughly that even daylight struggled to filter through.

Even though it was daytime, after entering this place, Luan felt as though the sun had not risen yet.

"There still isn't anything here that you're looking for?"

After traveling for a day and a night, the two of them were now sitting on a flat hillside.

A campfire burned before them, with a cooking rack set over it.

"No."

Luan answered casually, then suddenly realized something and looked at him.

"How did you know I was looking for something?"

Luan had come to the forestry grounds under the pretense of observing and learning. He had not told anyone his true purpose.

"Heh, didn't Neil tell you? I served as a soldier with him for ten years. Your actions along the way couldn't fool my eye at all."

As he spoke, Zalan pointed to his remaining left eye, then stuffed a bite of roasted meat into his mouth before continuing.

"You've been looking around all day, especially at night. You stared at the trees even more often then. Are you looking for some valuable timber?"

Hearing that, Luan let out a deep breath.

"Looks like my disguise still wasn't good enough. I am looking for timber, but not the valuable kind you mean."

Hearing Luan's almost self-revealing answer, Zalan smiled, took a swig of liquor, and let out a deep breath as well.

"Heh, disguise isn't something an eleven-year-old child can master."

Zalan merely mocked Luan's little scheme. As for what he was looking for, he did not ask further.