Leaping Nargles

Professor McGonagall actually disliked being interrupted while enjoying the entertainment. But she couldn't help it; the other party truly was a very, very good friend of hers, and openly enjoying the entertainment in front of someone else did rather undermine her dignified image as a professor. So she decided to bury her dissatisfaction.

"I brought someone here to buy a cat, Katharine."

Madam Katharine naturally turned her gaze to Luke beside Professor McGonagall.

Luke politely greeted Madam Katharine.

"Hello, Madam Katharine. I'm Luke Gaunt. You can call me Luke. I'll be attending Hogwarts, so I wanted to choose a cat to keep me company."

Luke noticed that Luna, who had been absorbed in her book just moments ago, was looking at him as well. Instinctively, he made his smile a little brighter, making himself seem even more approachable.

The moment Madam Katharine saw Luke, her eyes lit up. After all, a face so absurdly handsome was a rare resource anywhere in the world.

"Oh! What a lovely boy. Luke, that's such a nice name. Luke Gaunt... Gaunt?"

Madam Katharine froze halfway through speaking. She stared straight at Luke, then turned to Professor McGonagall with a puzzled expression.

Luke was dumbfounded. He looked like he knew the Noble Circle well, but not only had he lived alone all these years, even if there had been other adults around him, his family had cut off contact with the Noble Circle centuries ago. Honestly, if Luke didn't return to the Gaunt ancestral home, he wouldn't even know where he ranked on the family tree.

Professor McGonagall nodded at the bewildered Katharine, but said nothing more.

"Oh, Mr. Gaunt, I'm sorry. I lost my composure just now."

After receiving Professor McGonagall's confirmation, Madam Katharine became somewhat restrained. The way she looked at Luke also carried a hint of fear.

Luke remained courteous on the surface, but inwardly, he was full of confusion. What the hell just happened? Could simply announcing my name really make people bow and scrape before me?

"It's alright, Madam Katharine. Just call me Luke. The person standing here isn't a member of the Gaunt Family, but a new Hogwarts student—a customer who came to buy a suitable cat from you."

"Oh! Alright, alright! Gau... Luke, do you have any requirements for the cat? I can narrow them down for you first, or would you like to look around?"

Madam Katharine had calmed down considerably and was now able to treat him normally as an honored guest.

Just as Luke was about to answer, an ethereal female voice suddenly reached everyone's ears.

"I'll introduce you to them."

Luke quickly turned his head and focused his gaze on Luna's face again. Luna had already stood up, a faint smile on her face.

The elf-like girl smiled at Luke. "They like you very much, and they want to meet you too."

"Luna! You're talking nonsense again—"

"Katharine!"

Professor McGonagall suddenly raised her voice, interrupting Madam Katharine. Ignoring the panic on her face, she walked straight over, grabbed her arm, and said with a smile, "It's been so long since we last met. You have Butterbeer here, right? Buy me a drink. I've spent the entire morning running around Diagon Alley with this little one. Let me rest my feet and wet my throat."

"Luke, go look around with Luna. I have something to discuss with Katharine."

Professor McGonagall tugged the visibly flustered Katharine away while giving Luke her instructions.

"Alright, don't worry, Professor." Luke had no idea what Professor McGonagall wanted to discuss, but it was her private matter. There was no reason for him to pry.

With a bang, the lounge door shut. Only Luke and Luna remained in the shop.

"My name is Luna. I'm ten this year. You're a new Hogwarts student, and next year, I'll be able to attend Hogwarts too."

Luna spoke a long sentence gently, while the kittens around her meowed in unison, as though they were cheering her on.

"And we aren't the only two here. There are these little ones too. If you ignore them, they'll get angry."

Luna continued before Luke could say anything.

Luke looked at the little girl beside him in surprise. "You can..."

Once again, Luna shook her head before he could finish. "No, I can't use Legilimency. That's a very advanced spell, or a talent. But..."

Luna's delicate brows drew together as she thought for a moment, as though organizing her words.

"But your thoughts seem very easy to understand. At least, I can understand a little of them."

Luke's mouth twitched again, and he silently activated his Legilimency.

"And now?"

"I can only see a tiny little bit, but your Nargles are making a terrible fuss."

Luna's words made Luke furrow his brows tightly.

But that wasn't even the most frightening part. Luke could vaguely sense that he seemed able to perceive some of Luna's thoughts too. They just weren't as clear.

This was very wrong. It didn't feel like love at first sight, but more like some kind of innate connection.

Luke found it hard not to feel troubled. Did he really have any secrets left in front of Luna now? He didn't think his mind was that easy to read. The spells given by the system were somewhat stronger than the ones he had learned himself, so his Legilimency was powerful. More importantly, he had plenty of little thoughts when he was around Professor McGonagall, yet she had never noticed anything.

Looking at the extraordinary girl before him, Luke felt as though he had encountered his natural nemesis.

"Come on, Luke. I'll introduce you to them. One of the kittens smells very much like you." As she spoke, Luna leaned forward, moved close to Luke, and lightly sniffed him, as though confirming his scent.

Luke felt at a loss, and said stiffly, "Okay! Sure! No problem!"

He seemed to have no resistance to Luna's intimate gestures.

Luna straightened up, picked up a little orange kitten from the floor, and began introducing her to Luke.

"This is Alpha. She..."

Inside the lounge, Professor McGonagall hummed as she searched the liquor cabinet with sharp eyes, carefully selecting a good bottle. Madam Katharine sat gloomily at a round table, glancing anxiously at the tightly shut door from time to time, as though she wanted to see through it and check on the two little ones.

"Don't worry too much, Katharine. Trust me, Luke is a very good boy. He won't make any low-level mistakes."

Professor McGonagall finally selected a bottle that satisfied her, took out two silver cups, and walked to the table. She set the cups down and filled them with wine.

Yet before Professor McGonagall could even lift her cup, Madam Katharine drained hers in one gulp.

Then she asked in a deeply puzzled tone.

"Minerva, wasn't the Gaunt Family extinct? Why has a member of the Gaunt Family suddenly appeared?"

"Lai Ke and I worked so hard to rise above being servants, and now you've brought another head of the family here to enslave me?!"