The Tranquility of Black Lake

In the blink of an eye, Friday arrived.

Early that morning, Su Yu was habitually lying on Daphne's lap. The Great Hall buzzed with chatter as owls flew in through the windows overhead, weaving between the four long tables and dropping letters and packages to their owners. Today was the Owlery's big group event, and countless owls came flooding in, the sound of their flapping wings like an unending wind.

But the most eye-catching of them all was Su Yu's Azure Phoenix.

When she flew in through the Great Hall's archway, the entire hall's light seemed to turn soft, tinted with a pale azure sheen. She was a little larger than an owl, with a wingspan of nearly a meter. Her feathers were vivid green-blue, gleaming like metal under the candlelight, while her tail feathers trailed behind her like a long cloak.

The Azure Phoenix flew before Su Yu and landed. She rubbed her head against his leg and let out a low sound, like a bell stirred by the wind. Su Yu reached out to stroke her head, sat up from Daphne's lap, and pulled several bags of chips and a bottle of cola from his bag.

You heard that right. The Azure Phoenix was a bit of a homebody, and she liked chips and cola.

She stuck her head into a bag of chips and began crunching away. Su Yu had opened the cola for her, and she held the bottle's mouth in her beak, tipped back her head, and gulped down a mouthful, letting out a satisfied purr.

The young wizards in the hall stared in stunned disbelief.

"What kind of bird is that? She's so pretty—"

"She's drinking cola..."

"She eats chips too..."

Several younger girls covered their mouths, their eyes sparkling like stars. One Hufflepuff boy forgot to set down his plate, and didn't even notice when the fried egg on it slid onto the floor.

The Nine-Tailed Fox poked her head out from the other side of the table, glanced at the Azure Phoenix, and used a paw to push over the untouched cheesecake in front of her. The Azure Phoenix lowered her head to look at the cake, then at the Nine-Tailed Fox, before gently tapping the fox's ear with her beak. The Nine-Tailed Fox's ear twitched, and she gave a huff.

Daphne's eyes were practically turning into stars. Tugging on Su Yu's arm, she spoke half an octave higher than usual. "Su Yu, can I pet her?"

Leaning back in his chair, Su Yu glanced at the Azure Phoenix. She was poking at the crumbs in the chip bag with her beak, utterly indifferent to everything around her.

"The Azure Phoenix is a little aloof," he said. "You can try feeding her something first, like I did, then see whether she's willing to let you pet her."

Daphne took a butter biscuit from the table and cautiously held it out before the Azure Phoenix. The Azure Phoenix looked at the biscuit, then at Daphne, before turning away and continuing to poke at the chip bag.

Daphne switched to a chocolate cookie. The Azure Phoenix ignored her.

Daphne switched again, this time to a piece of pumpkin pie. The Azure Phoenix still ignored her.

Daphne tried every kind of pastry she could find on the table. The Azure Phoenix maintained the same attitude throughout—not looking, not responding, not touching.

Daphne was a little dejected, her shoulders drooping slightly. But she quickly adjusted her mood, tucked her handkerchief into her pocket, smiled, and said, "It's fine. I'll bring some chips next time too!"

Su Yu patted Daphne's head. He truly liked her personality too much. Then he snatched the unfinished bag of chips away from the Azure Phoenix's beak and put it back in his bag. The Azure Phoenix cried out in displeasure and smacked him on the head with a wing, but Su Yu then handed the bag to her and let her take it back to eat. Overjoyed, the Azure Phoenix spread her wings and flew out through the Great Hall window with the bag.

History of Magic with Professor Binns was in the morning.

As usual, Su Yu and the Nine-Tailed Fox slept through the entire lesson.

The classroom was so quiet that only Professor Binns's droning voice could be heard, like a fly circling inside a glass bottle. Su Yu lay sprawled over his desk, his face buried in his arms, breathing steadily and deeply. The Nine-Tailed Fox lay on the other side of the desk with her chin resting on her paws, her nine tails hanging over the edge and gently swaying with her breathing.

Daphne sat beside them, her quill scratching across her notebook. Her handwriting was neat and elegant, line after line. Every so often, she paused to glance at Professor Binns before lowering her head and continuing to write.

Then—

Thud.

The Nine-Tailed Fox might have dreamed of something. She rolled over, and her entire body tumbled off the desk, landing on the floor with all four paws in the air. Only after she hit the ground did her nine tails react, spreading over her body a beat too late like a blanket blown over by the wind. Her eyes remained closed as her four legs kicked once in the air, then went limp.

The whole class froze for a second, then began snickering.

Daphne had no time to react. She still held her quill, her mouth slightly open, her expression caught somewhere between surprise and laughter. She looked as though someone had pressed pause on her.

Su Yu woke up groggily, rubbed his eyes, and looked down at the Nine-Tailed Fox on the floor. She was lying there with her eyes still closed, but her ears were perked up—the tips trembling slightly, a little habit she only had when she was pretending to sleep.

Su Yu did not expose her.

Daphne bent down and picked the Nine-Tailed Fox up from the floor. The fox lay motionless in her arms, all four legs dangling and her tails hanging down, looking like a fox that was completely dead asleep. But Su Yu saw the tip of her tail gently brush against Daphne's arm.

From then on, whenever the Nine-Tailed Fox slept, she would run over to sleep on Daphne's lap. After all, Daphne never slept during class and could keep an eye on her.

At noon, Su Yu had a King Crab feast.

He had bribed the kitchen elves to make it. The elves had gone to Norway that morning to catch them fresh—supposedly by Apparition, taking only ten minutes for the round trip—and had also brought back several salmon and plenty of Norwegian Lobsters. Su Yu had even asked them to pick up light soy sauce and wasabi from Dongda Supermarket in England, naturally leaving them money.

Several King Crabs were laid out on the Slytherin table, their red shells gleaming with an oily shine under the candlelight. Their legs were as long as arms, cracked open at the joints to reveal snow-white crab meat. The salmon was cut into thick slices and arranged over ice, its orange-red flesh clearly marbled and gleaming with freshness. The Norwegian Lobsters were piled onto another platter, their shells bright red and their meat firm and plump.

Su Yu broke off a crab leg, used his chopsticks to poke out the meat, dipped it in soy sauce and wasabi, and stuffed it into his mouth. The crab was sweet and fresh, while the sharp heat of the wasabi burst through his nose, making him squint in comfort.

The Nine-Tailed Fox also had a crab leg before her. She hugged it with both front paws and gnawed away with loud crunches, bits of shell sticking to the tip of her nose without her noticing. At some point, the Azure Phoenix had flown back and perched at the other end of the table. A small dish of salmon sat before her, and she ate far more elegantly—gently picking up a slice with her beak, tipping back her head to swallow it, then taking a sip of cola.

Daphne and the other Slytherins ate quite a lot as well.

It was an excellent meal.

There were no classes in the afternoon.

Hermione dragged Su Yu and Daphne to do homework in the hall all afternoon. An aisle separated the Gryffindor table from the Slytherin table. Hermione sat on the Gryffindor side, while Su Yu and Daphne sat on the Slytherin side. The three of them spread their assignments across the tables, with quills and ink bottles lined up in a row.

Su Yu had no intention of writing.

He wanted the Nine-Tailed Fox to write for him.

The Nine-Tailed Fox lay on the table with a sheet of parchment spread before her. She stared at Su Yu with two amber eyes, her mouth slightly open to reveal two pointed canine teeth. Her expression was clear—You'd have to be insane to think that.

"You can't write?" Su Yu said.

The Nine-Tailed Fox lowered her head and used a paw to push the parchment toward Su Yu. Her expression carried the helplessness of someone saying, What the hell do I know about magic?

Su Yu sighed.

In the end, he copied a little from Hermione and a little from Daphne. Hermione's handwriting was neat but small, while Daphne's was slightly larger and more flowing.

That afternoon, Hermione mentioned, "I saw Harry and Ron heading toward the Forbidden Forest."

Su Yu gave a quiet "Mm" and said nothing more.

"What are they going to the Forbidden Forest for?" Daphne asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said, wrinkling her nose. "I heard Professor Hagrid lives over there."

Leaning back in his chair, Su Yu recalled that part of the story. He said nothing, merely turning to Daphne. "Let's go fishing tomorrow."

Daphne paused. "Fishing?"

"Yeah. At Black Lake."

Hermione's eyes lit up. "I'm coming too!"

Su Yu looked at Hermione, then at Daphne. "Fine. Early tomorrow morning."

The next day, dawn had barely broken.

Daphne arrived at Su Yu's dormitory door. She had changed into a light-colored robe, tied her hair into a ponytail, and carried a small basket filled with sandwiches and juice. She knocked on the door.

The Nine-Tailed Fox answered it. After opening the door, she sat at the entrance and looked at Daphne with amber eyes.

"Where's Su Yu?" Daphne asked.

The Nine-Tailed Fox tilted her head toward the washroom.

"Still bathing?"

The Nine-Tailed Fox nodded.

Daphne entered and sat on the sofa to wait. The Nine-Tailed Fox jumped onto the sofa, lay down beside her, and rested her chin on Daphne's lap. Daphne reached out to stroke her head. Her ears twitched, and her tails curled into a ball.

By the time Su Yu came out, he was already neatly dressed. He fastened his cufflinks as he walked, his hair still carrying a little dampness that had not been dried away.

"Let's go," he said.

The two of them left the dormitory. They had barely reached the common room when they saw two others heading out as well.

Gemma Farley stood beside the fireplace in a dark robe, her loose, voluminous waves draped over her shoulders, a book of unknown title in her hand. Cassandra Vole stood beside her, her pale golden hair softly curled. Her green eyes brightened for a moment when she saw Su Yu, before returning to that faintly smiling expression.

Ever since the Nine-Tailed Fox had knocked Sister Fa unconscious during that nighttime attack, she had not appeared again. Su Yu was certain she had been too embarrassed to show herself these past few days.

They happened to run into her today.

Su Yu greeted them both. "Morning."

Daphne asked, "Where are you two going?"

Sister Ka and Sister Fa exchanged a glance. Sister Fa spoke first. "Nothing special. We just wanted to take a walk around."

Sister Ka nodded, then asked Su Yu, "What about you? Where are you going?"

"Fishing," Su Yu said.

"Fishing?" Sister Ka raised a brow. "At Black Lake?"

"Yeah."

Sister Fa and Sister Ka exchanged another look. This time, their expressions were surprisingly identical—they wanted to go.

"We're coming too," Sister Ka said.

Su Yu glanced at the two of them, then at Daphne. Daphne showed no particular expression and merely nodded.

Su Yu had never been one to refuse pretty girls. He brought Sister Fa, Sister Ka, and Daphne to the hall, where Hermione was already waiting. She wore an ordinary robe and held a copy of Making Potions for Beginners. Seeing the group behind Su Yu, she froze for a moment.

"So many people?"

Four little snakes and one little lion arrived at the shore of Black Lake.

Black Lake was quiet in the early morning. A thin layer of white mist floated over its surface, Hogwarts Castle reflected in the water in the distance. Every now and then, a fish leaped from the lake with a splash before falling back in.

Su Yu told the four girls to wait, then walked to the lakeside and pressed his hands together.

"Wood Release, Wood Boat Technique."

All four girls' mouths fell open at once.

Several thick tree trunks grew from the lakeside grass. Rather than growing upward, they extended toward the lake—as though someone had turned a tree's direction of growth ninety degrees. The trunks intertwined, connected, and fused over the water, making creaking wooden sounds as they rubbed together. A few minutes later, a wooden boat appeared on the lake. Its hull was the color of raw timber, patterned with fresh wood grain and carrying the scent of pine. The boat was not small—it had a roof, a deck, cabins, a toilet, and a dining area, about the size of a yacht. There was even a small platform at the stern, perfect for fishing.

Hermione was the first to recover. She ran to the lakeside, crouched down to touch the hull, then turned to Su Yu with an expression of shocked disbelief that plainly said, Just how many things are there that I don't know about you?

Daphne followed behind her, the corners of her lips lifted, but she said nothing.

Sister Fa and Sister Ka stood at the back. Sister Fa's eyes shone a little too brightly, her lips slightly parted as she clutched the hem of her robe. Sister Ka quickly concealed her surprise and returned to her faintly smiling expression, but her eyes never left Su Yu.

Su Yu carried the four girls onto the boat one by one.

The Nine-Tailed Fox played on the shore. Once all the girls had boarded, she gave a light leap and landed steadily on the railing at the bow. Her nine tails spread behind her like those of a proud captain.

Su Yu was the last to board. Standing at the stern, he pressed both hands against the deck. Chakra seeped from his palms into the wood, and the boat trembled lightly before slowly pulling away from shore.

The five of them spent the entire day on the boat.

Su Yu fished from the stern. He set his rod against the railing, let the line hang into the water, then lay down on Daphne's lap for a nap. Daphne gently combed through his hair with her fingers, humming an unknown song. Her voice was soft and her melody slow, like wind passing through reeds.

Hermione did homework in the cabin. She spread parchment across the table, her quill scratching softly. Every so often, she looked up at the scenery over the lake before lowering her head to continue writing.

Sister Fa and Sister Ka chatted about gossip at the stern too. Their voices were low, but Su Yu could make out a few phrases—"that one from the Malfoy family," "I heard that Gryffindor Potter," "did you hear about Professor McGonagall..."

The Nine-Tailed Fox lay between Sister Fa and Sister Ka with her ears pricked and her tails gently swaying over the deck. At first, she only listened casually. Later, she lifted her whole head, her eyes wide and round.

Sister Fa said, "I heard from my father that the Fawley family has an estate in the Eastern Continent as large as a mountain."

The Nine-Tailed Fox's ears twitched.

Sister Ka said, "That's not all. Su Yu's mother was the most beautiful woman in the entire wizarding world back then—Mr. Malfoy pursued her for three years, and she never even looked at him."

The tip of the Nine-Tailed Fox's tail lifted.

Sister Fa said, "Really?"

Sister Ka said, "Really. My aunt told me. Later, she ran off with Su Yu's father—Mr. Malfoy was so angry that he smashed everything in his study."

The Nine-Tailed Fox's mouth opened slightly, revealing two pointed canine teeth. She looked at Sister Fa, then Sister Ka, before turning her head to glance at Su Yu at the stern with an expression that said, That brat never told me any of this?

Su Yu had his eyes closed, the corner of his mouth curving upward.

They caught no fish at all. Su Yu did not care. Daphne's lap was soft, her song was pleasant, the wind over the lake was cool, and the sun overhead was warm. The Nine-Tailed Fox was left dumbfounded by Sister Fa and Sister Ka's chatter, nearly getting so much information pried out of her that she might have revealed Su Yu's underwear.

Su Yu liked this.