Mooncalfs Under the Moon

"Ha ha ha ha, Su Yu, look! These Fwoopers are so much fun!" Sister Ka rarely laughed this happily, her laughter echoing across the clearing in the magical forest. She crouched before a Fwooper and lightly poked the fluffy little creature with a finger—pop, and the Fwooper vanished, appearing three steps away the next second with its head tilted at her.

"They blink away whenever you touch them!" Sister Ka chased after it and poked it again. Pop, it vanished once more. Her laughter grew louder, her eyes curving into crescents as the little birds kept flashing around, reflected in her green pupils.

"Slow down, Sister Ka!" Su Yu watched her childish excitement and followed at an unhurried pace. It was not that he did not want to move faster; he was currently covered in Bowtruckles. The twig-like creatures clung to his shoulders, arms, and even the top of his head, their long fingers gripping his clothes as their green eyes blinked. He had to walk carefully, afraid they might fall off. One especially tiny Bowtruckle had climbed beside his ear, mistaking it for a branch and dangling from his earlobe, swaying back and forth.

Sister Fa and the Nine-Tailed Fox were angrily holding onto a Niffler. The little black, fluffy creature had a duckbill-like snout and struggled wildly in Sister Fa's hand, its four short legs kicking frantically in the air. Its pouch was bulging with shiny things.

"Spit it out." Sister Fa's voice was cold, though Su Yu could tell she was holding back a laugh.

The Niffler refused. It covered the opening of its pouch with both tiny paws and shook its head like a rattle drum.

The Nine-Tailed Fox crouched beside Sister Fa, her fur bristling and her amber eyes glaring at the Niffler. "It stole my gold coins! Three of them! I counted!" Her voice was shrill with anger as she scraped her claws against the ground twice.

Sister Fa held the Niffler upside down and gave it a shake. Clatter— three gold coins fell to the ground, gleaming in the sunlight. The Nine-Tailed Fox pounced over and hugged them to her chest, counting them one by one. Even after finishing, she flipped them over to inspect the backs and make sure none were missing.

Sister Fa shook it again. Her watch and gold ring fell out. She shook it once more, and Sister Ka's necklace fell out too. The Niffler's pouch seemed bottomless.

The Niffler had been emptied out. It sat on the ground dejectedly, touched its now-empty pouch with a paw, and let out a wronged little squeak. Sister Fa looked at it and softened, taking out a Galleon from her pocket and handing it over. The Niffler's eyes immediately lit up. It stuffed the Galleon into its pouch and darted into the woods.

Su Yu and the others had arrived at the Swiss Magical Forest Reserve a few days earlier for a trip. This reserve was hidden deep within the Alps, concealed by a powerful magical barrier that Muggles could never find. The trees in the forest were so tall their tops could not be seen, their canopies joining into a green dome. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows over the ground, while the air carried the scent of pine resin and wildflowers.

The two women especially loved this place. There were so many magical creatures here: Fwoopers, Bowtruckles, Nifflers, Rainbow Fish, and Pixies hiding in tree hollows. Every one of them fascinated the women. Sister Fa tried to shake hands with a Bowtruckle, only for its long fingers to pinch her, making her pull her hand back from the ticklish sensation.

Since tonight was a full moon, they had stayed here to watch the Mooncalfs dance. Mooncalfs only came out to dance on full-moon nights. It was said that their dances possessed magical power, and anyone who saw one would be blessed with good luck.

At that moment, an Erumpent walked over from the distance. It was built like a rhinoceros, with grayish-blue skin that gleamed like metal. A long, sharp horn grew from its nose, its tip faintly glowing. It moved slowly, each step making the ground tremble slightly.

How should he put it? Su Yu thought it was kind of ugly-cute. Its face was wrinkled, its eyes tiny, and it tilted its head when looking at people, wearing the expression of a cow considering whether to eat a patch of grass.

Su Yu walked over and stroked its back. The Erumpent's hide was rough like sandpaper. Then it comfortably lay down, rolled over with all four legs in the air, and exposed its pale gray belly, wanting Su Yu to scratch it.

The Nine-Tailed Fox leaped over as well, landing on the Erumpent's stomach and bouncing up and down as if it were a trampoline. The Erumpent's belly was very soft. Every time she bounced, it let out a comfortable rumble, its eyes narrowing into slits.

Su Yu took out an enormous back scratcher from his ring and scraped it up and down over the pale gray belly. The Erumpent was so comfortable that all four limbs trembled faintly, while its tail swished across the ground and swept up a flurry of fallen leaves.

A Thestral approached from not far away, carrying a little girl on its back.

The little girl rode atop the Thestral, her long pale-gold hair freely tousled like wheat waves kneaded by the wind, hanging loosely to her waist. Her hair was neither tied nor pinned with clips; it simply flowed free, drifting through the air like a soft flag whenever the wind blew.

Her slightly protruding gray-blue eyes always held a hint of dazed distance, as though she were looking at someplace no one else could see. Even when she spoke, she did so slowly, her voice light as if floating in the air. An old wand was tucked behind her left ear, a Butterbeer cork necklace hung around her neck, and a pair of radish-shaped earrings dangled from her ears.

The mad girl, Luna Lovegood.

Su Yu and the others had encountered her in the reserve several days ago. Sister Fa had been studying the habits of an Occamy when Luna emerged from the forest on the back of a Thestral, her pale-gold hair nearly transparent beneath the sunlight. Sister Fa looked up at her, then froze for a moment.

Sister Fa found her interesting. Through their conversations, she felt that Luna possessed a kind of mad beauty, one much like her own.

After several days of talking, they had become friends.

"Su Yu!" Luna said slowly, her voice light as wind. She slid down from the Thestral's back and stepped barefoot onto the grass. "You don't have any Wrackspurts around you today. It seems you're in a pretty good mood."

"That sounds like good news." Su Yu replied with a smile. The Bowtruckles on him lifted their heads, glanced at Luna, then settled back down. "Do you want to watch the Mooncalfs dance with us tonight?"

"Sure. I suppose it will be beautiful?" Luna tilted her head, her gray-blue eyes looking at Su Yu as though her gaze passed straight through him and fell somewhere far, far away.

"I don't know, Miss Luna, but it will definitely be an unforgettable memory, won't it?" Su Yu said.

Luna nodded and smiled.

Everyone waited until night fell.

The moon hung in the sky, its clear light spilling across the ground. The forest grew dim, the sky above the canopy shifting from deep blue to inky navy as stars lit up one by one.

Su Yu, Sister Fa, Sister Ka, and Luna sat on a hillside. A pile of firewood burned beside them, logs in the fire occasionally crackling as sparks rose into the air, flashed once, and vanished.

No one spoke. Only the gentle sound of wind brushing through leaves could be heard.

Sister Fa leaned against Su Yu's left side, her head resting on his shoulder and her eyes half-closed. Sister Ka sat on his right, hugging her knees with her chin resting atop them as she watched the distant woods. The Nine-Tailed Fox lay across Su Yu's lap, her tail hanging down and swaying beneath the firelight. Luna sat a little farther away, stretching her bare feet toward the flames, her toes curling slightly in the glow.

Before long, several round gray figures emerged from the woods—it was the Mooncalfs.

They were not very large, about the size of plump cats. Their bodies were round, their four legs thin and long, and they waddled as they walked, like reeds swaying in the wind. Their skin was smooth and glimmered silver-gray under the moonlight. Most striking were their enormous round eyes, which took up half their faces. Their pupils were deep blue and glowed in the darkness like polished gems.

At the sight of the full moon, it was as though they had been awakened by its light. They began turning in circles, hopping, and dancing on tiptoe in the clearing, clumsy yet adorable. Their movements were slow and carried a silly sort of gentleness, as if the whole world contained only them and the moon. One Mooncalf lifted its forelegs, spun in place, put them down, then spun again before tripping over its own foot and nearly falling. Another jumped up and landed on its companion's tail. The two rolled together across the grass for several turns, then got up and continued dancing as if nothing had happened.

Their dance had no music and no rhythm, but they danced with great seriousness. Every Mooncalf was speaking to the moon in its own way.

Luna tilted her face slightly upward, her pale-gold hair gleaming under the moonlight. "Look," she said softly. "They're talking to the moon."

Sister Ka lightly touched Su Yu's arm, smiling at the corner of her lips. "Aren't they adorable? Like a bunch of little fools dancing in the moonlight."

Leaning against Su Yu, Sister Fa looked gentle as she smiled softly too. "How wonderful. I've never seen such gentle and adorable magical creatures."

Su Yu watched the Mooncalfs hopping and dancing beneath the moonlight, then looked at the two girls quietly watching beside him. He only felt that the night was impossibly gentle, as though even the wind had slowed its steps. The logs in the fire had burned down to embers, their dark-red glow flickering across their faces. At some point, the Nine-Tailed Fox had fallen asleep. Her tail slipped from Su Yu's lap onto the grass, its tip faintly curled.

Luna took a tiny notebook from her pocket, opened it, and used a pencil so short it was nearly impossible to hold to draw something inside. Su Yu glanced over—she was drawing the Mooncalfs. Her lines were simple, yet with only a few strokes, she captured their round bodies and slender legs.

"You draw very well," Su Yu said.

"Thank you." Luna did not look up. "They're very happy today. Can you tell?"

Su Yu looked at the Mooncalfs still dancing, then at Luna. "I can."

Luna smiled faintly and said nothing more.

The next day, Su Yu and the two women were awakened by the Nine-Tailed Fox.

"My gold coins are missing again!" the Nine-Tailed Fox's voice pierced into the tent from outside, shrill enough to rupture eardrums. "It must be that Niffler! It definitely was!"

Su Yu sat up from his sleeping bag and rubbed his eyes. Sister Fa lay beside him with the blanket pulled over her head. Sister Ka slept on the other side of the tent, turning over and mumbling something.

"Aren't you going to get up and help me look?" The Nine-Tailed Fox rushed into the tent and crouched before Su Yu, all nine tails puffed into a ball.

The Nine-Tailed Fox touched her neck and checked the Philosopher's Stone hanging there again. "Good thing I always hug it while sleeping at night, or it would have been stolen too."

"So what? You still have the Philosopher's Stone. They're only gold coins. You can make more later."

"No!" The Nine-Tailed Fox's tails puffed up even wider. "They're my gold coins! Every single one has feelings!"

Su Yu sighed and could only get up to help search. Sister Fa's watch and gold ring were missing too—she sat up, looked at the bedside, confirmed that her watch was gone, and her expression changed from sleepy to speechless. Sister Ka's losses were even stranger. Her hair clip and the sunglasses she had brought were gone. She checked beneath her pillow, inside her sleeping bag, and through her backpack, but found nothing.

As Su Yu walked out of the tent, he kept imagining what a Niffler wearing sunglasses, a hair clip, a gold ring, and a watch would look like. The image of that little black creature appeared in his mind: sunglasses perched on its snout, a hair clip stuck on its head, gold rings around both front paws, a sparkling watch dangling from its wrist, its pouch stuffed full as it walked along jingling all the way. He found the image rather funny.

By then, the Nine-Tailed Fox had transformed into Sherlock Holmes. She crouched at the tent entrance with her nose pressed to the ground, sniffing out scents and inching forward step by step.

Su Yu said from behind her, "Nine-Tailed Fox, there's no need to make it so complicated. Watch this!"

He drew his wand and gave it a flick. "Specialis Revelio!"

A golden beam shot from the tip of his wand and spread through the air, bursting like fireworks into countless tiny points of light that fell onto the ground, trees, and blades of grass. Then he opened his mouth and exhaled a mouthful of golden sand—the sand scattered through the air like a fine net, covering dozens of meters around them. It flowed in the air, slowly revealing the scene of the Niffler sneaking away last night.

"The Niffler ran that way!" Su Yu pointed out the direction to the Nine-Tailed Fox.

The Nine-Tailed Fox immediately ran west, her four legs moving swiftly while her nine tails stretched into a straight line behind her. Before long, she returned with the Niffler clenched by the scruff of its neck. Its four legs kicked in the air, its pouch swollen like a balloon.

Just as Su Yu had imagined, the sunglasses sat on its snout, looking ridiculous and hilarious. Sister Ka's oversized sunglasses had slid down to the tip of the Niffler's nose, and it had to keep pushing them back up with its paws. Sister Ka's hair clip was pinned to its head, Sister Fa's gold rings were around its two front paws, and Sister Fa's watch hung from its wrist, already slipping down to the base of its paw and ready to fall off at any moment.

Su Yu picked it up upside down. Clatter— a pile of things spilled from its pouch, forming a small mound. Gold coins, spoons, buttons, a glass marble it had picked up from who knew where, and a pair of carrot-shaped earrings.

Su Yu picked up the earrings and examined them. Weren't these Luna's? They were identical to the pair she wore. Unfortunately, Luna had already left with her father—Mr. Lovegood had come to pick her up early that morning, saying they were going to search for a rare aquatic creature. Su Yu could only put the earrings into his ring and wait for a chance to return them to her at school.

When Su Yu brought everything back, the two women had already dressed and tidied themselves up. Sister Fa was tying her hair. When she saw Su Yu enter, she held out her hand. Su Yu placed the watch and rings in her palm, and Sister Fa put them back on. Sister Ka took her sunglasses, had Su Yu clip the hairpin into her hair, and smiled at him.

After packing up the tent, the three of them Apparated back to Foley Manor.

Carson the butler had already prepared a lavish breakfast for them.

The dining table was covered in food. Su Yu sat down, and the Nine-Tailed Fox jumped onto the table and crouched in her usual spot. In front of her sat a plate of sliced fruit and a small piece of cheesecake.

The start of term was drawing closer. Su Yu and the others also planned to rest at home for the next few days and prepare for school.

If you asked what Su Yu would do about textbooks, he could just use Sister Ka's books from the previous year. As for Lockhart's books? It was already generous of Su Yu not to smash Lockhart in the face with an elbow, and they expected him to buy his books? Which Dark spell did he not know? Oh, except he had not found where to learn Grindelwald's blue Fiendfyre spell.

Sister Ka sat opposite Su Yu with a cup of coffee in hand, reading today's newspaper. Sister Fa sat beside Su Yu, buttered a piece of toast, and placed it on his plate. The Nine-Tailed Fox finished her fruit and started eating the cheesecake in small bites, her tail swaying behind her.

Su Yu leaned back in his chair and took a sip of coffee.

Summer vacation was almost over. A new term was about to begin.