Shadows Over Town of Fonsali

The morning after Christmas, the Black Vine Winery lay blanketed in snow, ice crystals clinging to the grapevines like curtains studded with diamonds.

After two days of festive revelry, silence had finally settled over the place.

That day after breakfast, Alphard changed into a dark brown leather coat, tucked his wand at his waist, and set off with Yulian on the road to the Town of Fonsali.

The carriage trundled along snow-covered country lanes, wheels crunching over the white powder, the distant village flickering in and out of view through the mist.

Yes, a carriage. Wrapped in a thick, dark green wool cloak, sitting beside his grandfather Alphard, Yulian thought too much—there were no Thestrals here, let alone noble steeds.

"Why don't we drive?" Yulian asked curiously.

"Are you mad? Driving to a wizard town. Fonsali is a true hidden place, known only to old-school wizards. When I was young, I used to come here to buy your grandmother's favorite lavender spices. She still doesn't know those spices only exist in the wizarding world—she thinks I'm the only one who can get her favorites, haha."

"Is there a lot of fun stuff there?"

"Fonsali isn't as flashy as Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, but it hides plenty of good things." Alphard stroked his well-groomed beard as he drove the carriage. "The magical furniture makers and potioneers there are old hands, and they have the best magical pastry shop in all of France."

Parking the carriage in the designated spot, the grandfather and grandson strolled into Fonsali.

The town was sizable. Cobblestone streets were lined with neat stone houses topped with red tiles.

Every windowsill held magical plants still blooming in the depths of winter. Above the doorways hung mistletoe and ivy wreaths woven by magic for the holiday.

The commercial district clustered around the town center. At a small shop by the roadside, the owner was directing a broom to sweep snow from the doorstep with a Silencing Charm, while an owl wearing a tiny Santa hat perched on a mailbox, curiously eyeing the steady stream of passersby.

The bustle here was a world apart from the Black Vine Winery's celebration two days earlier—less opulent, more grounded in everyday warmth.

Just as the pair stopped in front of a shop selling handmade wand polish, a smooth, rounded female voice came from behind.

"Monsieur Black!"

The grandfather and grandson turned. A middle-aged or elderly woman with fair skin, a slender but not frail figure, and a deep purple velvet robe was looking at them.

She was about sixty, but her back was as straight as a pillar in the Palace of Versailles. Her gray-blue eyes were as clear as the sea off Brittany, and an antique silver filigree brooch adorned her collar.

"Hey! Clotilde!"

Seeing the woman, Alphard broke into his signature grin. "Great to see you!"

The woman smiled too, raising a hand to smooth her hair. As her sleeve slipped back, a thin old silver bracelet on her wrist clinked softly with the movement.

But what Yulian noticed first were the two girls standing beside her—one big, one small.

The older one was Fleur Delacour, whom he'd met the other day. She was holding the hand of a little girl about four or five.

Fleur wore a well-tailored white cashmere coat today, her silver hair gleaming in the sunlight, and her deep silver eyes held a look of surprise.

The little girl beside her had the same delicate features, but her gaze was more innocent and lively. She was clutching her sister's hand tightly, studying Yulian with curiosity.

"Miss Delacour, hello." Yulian smiled and nodded to them, his tone calm. "I didn't expect to meet here. This must be your little sister?"

"My name is Gabri. Who are you?" the little girl piped up brightly, then let go of her sister's hand, ran up to Yulian, tilted her face up, and showed no shyness at all.

Yulian paused, then crouched down to meet Gabri's clear eyes, smiling gently. "Hello Gabri, nice to meet you. I'm Yulian."

"Hello, Yulian. Nice to meet you too!" Gabri clapped her hands happily, then grabbed Yulian's sleeve as if she'd found a new toy. "Is this your first time here? I can show you around."

Fleur gave a helpless smile and stepped forward. "Hello, Yulian. My sister is a bit lively. Don't mind her."

Over on the other side, the elderly woman and Alphard were exchanging pleasantries. After introductions, Yulian learned that the old woman was Fleur and Gabri's grandmother, and they lived in Fonsali.

After chatting for a while, Yulian's grandfather Alphard and Fleur's grandmother decided to go visit some old friends together, leaving Fleur and Gabri to show Yulian around.

And so, the three young ones set off together. Gabri was like a cheerful little bird, tugging Yulian one moment to look at a singing porcelain doll in a shop window, the next pointing at colorful paper cranes circling in the sky and asking endless questions.

Fleur smiled by their side, occasionally answering her sister's wild questions, but her gaze often lingered on Yulian—perhaps because his eyes, when looking at the two sisters, remained perfectly clear.

They passed under an arcade hung with colorful lanterns, and the view opened up. An ancient stone building stood at the end of the square.

It had a tall spire and stained-glass windows, but most of the windows were broken, and withered vines crawled over the walls, giving it a desolate air.

"Is that... a church?" Yulian was a bit surprised. In his experience, wizard settlements rarely had such purely Muggle religious buildings.

"Yeah," Fleur nodded, her voice dropping. "My grandmother says that centuries ago, Fonsali wasn't all wizards. Muggles and wizards lived together here. Later, for some reason, the Muggles moved away one by one, and this church was abandoned. Now everyone says it's haunted. No kids dare go near it."

Yulian was about to ask more when he caught a flicker of movement from the corner of his eye—a figure darting through a narrow alley beside the church. The person wore a loose gray cloak, the hood pulled low.

But just as they raised a hand to adjust the cloak, Yulian clearly saw a tattoo on the inside of their forearm—a crescent moon entwined with thorns.

The Moon Shadow Council!

Yulian's heart jolted. What was this mysterious organization's symbol doing here? In a seemingly peaceful little wizard town like this?

Fleur must have noticed it too. Her expression turned serious as she exchanged a glance with Yulian. But neither knew what to do.

Yulian instinctively wanted to chase after them, but Gabri tugged at his coat. "Big brother, they're selling candy apples over there!" The little girl's voice pulled him back to reality.

Right, Gabri was here. He couldn't take risks.

Just then, a familiar voice, tinged with coldness, came from behind them.

"What a coincidence, Mr. Black. I thought you'd be celebrating the holidays in your luxurious winery. What, are you interested in this rustic market too?"

Yulian turned. Elizabeth Rosier stood a few steps away.

Today she wasn't wearing her signature dark green dress, but a simple black riding outfit that made her skin look even paler.

Her gaze swept over Yulian, Fleur, and Gabri, who was clinging tightly to Yulian's arm, before settling on Yulian's face, her eyes carrying an indescribable complexity.

"Ah, Elizabeth, great to see you." Yulian straightened up and replied politely. "A walk during the holidays is better than being cooped up at home. Did you come alone?"

"I have my own business," Rosier replied flatly, chin lifted with her usual arrogance. "But it seems your holiday has been quite... eventful."