Moon Shadow Council

Elizabeth nodded in surprise. "You... you know my aunt?"

"Of course," Madam Maxime smiled faintly. "We're old friends. As for you, young man, who might you be?" she asked, looking at Yulian.

"Hello, Madam. My name is Shiloh Yulian Black. I live at the Black Vine Winery nearby."

"Black Vine Winery? I see. I met your grandfather on the Ruelle des Étoiles Filantes in Paris, and the encounter wasn't exactly pleasant. That old fellow is quite slippery."

Yulian chuckled awkwardly. He knew his grandfather frequented that place; after all, he got his first wand from there.

Maxime continued, "Oh, right, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Olympe Maxime, Headmistress of Beauxbatons School of Magic. This is my student, Fleur Delacour, a fourth-year."

Yulian's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at the girl before him again. No wonder she looked as exquisite as a character model from an anime; it was her, the jewel of Beauxbatons, a future champion of the Triwizard Tournament.

"Hello, Miss Delacour," Yulian said, quickly bowing.

Rosier, meanwhile, first glanced subtly at Yulian. Seeing that he showed no unusual reaction to Fleur Delacour, she then happily greeted Fleur.

Upon hearing Madam Maxime's introduction, Rosier recalled that her aunt had told her about Fleur Delacour's background.

She had a quarter Veela bloodline, which not only gave her stunning looks but also an indescribable charm, especially towards men.

Yulian, however, seemed to maintain his composure, which inexplicably pleased her.

"On behalf of Beauxbatons, I express my deep regret that neither of you chose our school," Madam Maxime said directly, but without any blame, only the wistful tone of an elder.

"Especially you, Miss Rosier. I understand your difficulties, but I believe you would receive better guidance at Beauxbatons. Do you perhaps trust Headmaster Dumbledore more?"

Rosier's expression flickered slightly but quickly returned to calm. She merely nodded with a smile, offering no reply.

Madam Maxime seemed unfazed by her silence and changed the subject, lowering her voice. "Of course, I believe your choices are for your own reasons. I simply wish to take this opportunity to ask you to deliver a message to Dumbledore."

She glanced around before continuing, "Recently, there have been some unusual stirrings on the European continent. A wizarding organization called the 'Moon Shadow Council' has become unusually active."

"Moon Shadow Council?" Yulian frowned. He had never heard this name, even in his past life. It was the name the man fighting Cassian had just mentioned.

"Yes," Madam Maxime nodded. "It's an ancient organization that has existed for hundreds of years. They operate with extreme secrecy, remaining unseen even during the eras of Grindelwald and Voldemort, as if deliberately avoiding all power struggles."

Maxime chose her words carefully. "They don't seem to seek dominion, nor are they keen on causing chaos. Their interest... lies solely in knowledge itself, no matter how dark that knowledge may be."

"Illegal experiments, forbidden Dark Magic research, even the plunder of ancient magical artifacts," a chill entered her voice. "Just last month, an ancient ruin near our Beauxbatons was ransacked. It now appears to have been the work of the Moon Shadow Council."

"Why have they suddenly become so active?" Rosier finally spoke, her voice clear and cool, having seemingly grasped the key point.

"That is precisely what concerns us," Madam Maxime looked into the distance, her expression grave. "Perhaps it's due to a certain catalyst, or perhaps a lost treasure has reappeared. Regardless, I believe Dumbledore needs to know about this. I hope you can deliver my message to him verbatim."

The dizziness of Apparition was milder than a Portkey, but only slightly. Fortunately, Yulian's physical condition was quite good.

When his feet touched the ground, the familiar scent of Black Vine Winery, a blend of grapevines and oak barrels, filled his nostrils. Snowflakes landed on his shoulders, instantly melting into cool droplets. Before him stood the familiar ornate iron gate of the manor's main building.

"Mr. Black, remember my words," Madam Maxime's voice was exceptionally clear in the wind and snow. Her tall figure stood as steady as a fortress in the night. "Relay the Moon Shadow Council's activities to Dumbledore for me. Do not take it lightly."

Yulian nodded solemnly. "I will, Madam. Thank you again for your help."

Madam Maxime nodded slightly, said no more, and turned to Elizabeth and Fleur beside her. "Let's go."

The three figures flickered, transforming into silver-blue halos where they stood, and vanished. Faintly, Elizabeth Rosier's voice bidding farewell echoed in the wind.

"What's all the commotion?" Grandfather Alphard's voice came from behind. Yulian smiled and turned, embracing his grandfather, finally feeling like he was home.

"Didn't you say you'd contact me to pick you up after you landed?"

"Some classmates were heading back this way. Oh, do you know Madam Maxime from Beauxbatons? She just Apparated me back."

"That big lady," Old Black's mouth twitched. "We met under less than ideal circumstances, I suppose."

"I suspect you got beaten up," Yulian said with a laugh.

"She's a match for Dumbledore," Alphard said with a wry smile. "In fact, she's not quite a woman." He then looked around, as if afraid Madam Maxime might suddenly reappear.

"Hahaha!"

As Yulian pushed open the iron gate and entered the manor, the familiar warm light from the living room spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the snow.

As soon as he changed his shoes, Grandma Elodie came forward with hot chocolate, her wool shawl carrying the warmth of the fireplace. "My little wizard is back! Did you have any trouble on the way? I told you we should have had your grandfather pick you up earlier."

"Everything went smoothly, Grandma," Yulian took the hot chocolate, its warmth spreading through his body. He winked at his grandfather, Alphard, "Just a slight flight delay, but I made it back just in time for dinner."

Grandfather Alphard sat on the sofa, habitually twirling the wedding ring engraved with Latin script, his eyes deep. He naturally knew that Madam Maxime personally escorting him back meant something had happened.

"It's good you're back. Rest for a couple of days, and I'll take you to the Town of Fonsali to see the French wizarding market."

After a long talk with his grandfather all night, Yulian didn't gain much. Alphard knew nothing about Black ancestors or any magic nodes. He only reminded him to be cautious in all matters.

However, a new book appeared in his Magic Resonance Library: Bang! And Then Where Am I? - A Beginner Apparator's Survival Guide. The subtitle in small print read: "Don't worry, your first failure is just your body playing one last prank on space."

Yulian skimmed through it. With his current magic level, his first attempt might indeed be his last. Of course, practicing in secret wouldn't hurt, as long as he didn't trigger the 'enter' key of this spell.

As for the Town of Fonsali his grandfather mentioned, wasn't that where Elizabeth was going? Interesting.