Chapter 7. The Journey From Ptform Nine and Three QuartersoOoOo“Mum! I’m going to Luna’s with Umbra!”

  The now-familiar call, nearly a daily occurrence since the start of summer break, shattered the morning quietude of the house. Normally, it would be met with a simple nod of approval. But today, the response deviated from the usual pattern.

  “Chotto matte, Ushio-chan.” (Wait a moment, Ushio-chan.)

  Caught mid-stride, shoes in hand and just steps away from the firepce, Séléné turned around with a questioning look.

  “Hai, Kā-san?” (Yes, Mum?)

  “Do you remember what day it is today?” Miyu asked, her voice light, her usual gentle smile pying at the corners of her lips.

  Séléné frowned, trying to figure it out. Nothing special came to mind. It was just early August, and she was finally on official holiday, having completed her non-magical schooling just a few days earlier.

  Seeing that her daughter had no clue, Miyu continued.

  “Your father and I are supposed to visit Hogwarts with the other non-magical families today, remember? It’s something Lily promised during her first visit. But from what she expined, we’ll probably be back te. Do you think you could spend the evening at Luna’s? Maybe even stay the night, just in case we’re not home on time?”

  “Wait… what? I don’t get to come with you to the school? Why not?”

  “That was part of the instructions,” Miyu replied gently. “We asked too and apparently, discovering the school for the first time after the train ride is like a rite of passage. A tradition they insist on keeping. And honestly? I kind of understand their point. That first journey is all anticipation, you’re heading into the unknown. But if you’ve already seen the school, it’s just a normal train ride.”

  “But I wanted to go…”

  “I know, love,” Miyu said, stroking her daughter’s hair softly. “But it’s just one more month. And this way, you’ll get to discover the castle at the same time as Luna.”

  She paused, a small mischievous glint in her eye. “It’ll be more magical that way. Seems only fitting, for a school of witchcraft.”

  “Muuuum! That was so me…”

  She rolled her eyes with a grin, but her voice softened a little.

  “Okay then, I’ll ask Mrs Lovegood. Have fun, and tell me everything when you get back, okay? Love you, Mum!”

  She gave her mother a quick hug, then promptly finished her preparations and stepped into the firepce, Umbra in her arms, calling out loudly for the Rookery.

  oOoOo

  A short distance away, in a decidedly strange circur sitting room, the firepce fred to life. The gentle hearth fire swelled into a vivid green bze, flooding the room with light for a brief moment before shrinking back down into a quiet, crackling glow.

  Such an event might have armed anyone unfamiliar with the peculiarities of floo travel, but Pandora Lovegood had long since grown used to its eccentricities. Lifting her silver eyes, so very like her daughter’s, from the notes she’d been drafting, she looked up at the new arrival.

  “Hello, Séléné. Hello, Umbra. Luna’s in her room, if you’re looking for her.”

  Setting Umbra down to brush the soot from her sleeves, Séléné took a moment to absorb the wonderful atmosphere that always seemed to linger in The Rookery. The room was round, with walls of stone painted in all sorts of colors, and at its center stood a rge table buried beneath papers, articles, photos, and books. According to Luna, it was the primary staging ground for The Quibbler.

  Strange paintings of various fantastical creatures lined the walls, though many of them were often wandering elsewhere instead of staying put into their frames. Above her, a multitude of peculiar objects, whose functions utterly escaped her, hung from the ceiling. Luna had tried to expin a few of them once, but the more she talked, the less sense it all seemed to make.

  Finally, Séléné turned toward Luna’s mother with a bright smile, doing her best to not pay attention to the obvious involuntary spasms that flickered through Pandora’s arms at regur intervals.

  “Hello, Mrs Lovegood. How are you doing today?”

  Years ago, Pandora had been a renowned spellcrafter, until a serious accident during an experiment nearly cost her her life. Thankfully, Headmaster Dumbledore happened to be visiting that day and was able to intervene just in time. She managed to survive, but the sting effects of her injuries were severe enough that she had to give up her profession, where control and precision were keys. Despite all that, rather than let it break her spirit, she joined her husband at The Quibbler, helping transform it from a parody paper into a serious publication, always pyful in tone, but no longer dismissed as nonsense.

  “I’m doing well enough, dear. Thanks for asking. We’re working on a new article. According to Arthur Weasley, Amos Diggory, the Head of the Department of Magical World Inhabitants, has been trying to reduce the budget for the Non-Magical Liaison Office.”

  She paused, surveying the papers strewn across the table. With a kind of absent-minded pattern, she began stacking some, shifting others, in an arrangement that seemed to follow a logic only she could see. Once satisfied, she went on.

  “He usually does good work, so we don’t want to ruffle any feathers. The article needs to be diplomatic. Questions, not accusations. Xenophilius wanted to bme the Heliopaths, but I convinced him to save that for another piece. And you? How are things on your side?”

  “A little disappointed. My parents are spending the day touring Hogwarts, and I wasn’t allowed to go with them. Apparently it would ‘spoil the experience’ for me. By the way, Mum was wondering if I could stay here tonight, just in case they get back te?”

  “Of course, you’re always welcome here. And I do agree, it would spoil the experience. I still remember the first time I saw the castle. It’s a moment like no other. Anyway, you’ll find Luna in her room,” she said, standing with a small grimace of pain. “I’ll go let Miyu know you’re welcome to stay the night if needed.”

  With a nod of acceptance and a grateful smile, Séléné left Luna’s mother behind and climbed the crescent-shaped staircase to the upper floor where Luna’s bedroom was located. As soon as she reached the door, the familiar little smile tugged at her lips, the one that always came when she saw those vender walls. Clearly, she and Luna shared simir tastes. While Luna’s were slightly more vibrant than the soft tones in her own room, the shade was remarkably close.

  The room was pure Luna, delightfully chaotic. Séléné was quite convinced that if her mother ever stepped into it unprepared, she might faint on the spot. Books were scattered absolutely everywhere, clothing y draped in the most improbable pces, and the whole room was peppered with handmade decorations crafted from items that were definitely never meant for such use, like a doll made entirely of pine-cones and tea-bags, or a miniature model of The Rookery built from tangled yarn and beetle-shells.

  As for the culprit behind the mess, she was currently sitting cross-legged on the bed, a magazine open in her p and a troubled expression clouding her face, a rare sight, and not at all like the Luna Séléné was used to. It made her hesitate for a moment. Luna was many things, odd, intense, unpredictable, but she was rarely troubled. Something about the stillness in her eyes gave Séléné pause.

  Without giving her mistress a chance to gather her thoughts, Umbra darted between her legs, leapt onto the patchwork bedspread, stretched herself out into a comfortable position, and fell asleep almost instantly. Luna barely reacted to the Maneko’s antics, but greeted the new arrivals without lifting her eyes from the magazine.

  “Hello, Umbra. Hello, Séléné. Make yourselves comfortable.”

  Again surprised, by her friend’s distant tone this time, Séléné gnced down at the magazine. On the open page, apparently the centerfold, was a photo of a blond man with eborate clothing, grinning with all his teeth and winking from time to time. It seemed to be this photo that had Luna so perplexed.

  “Hi Luna. What’s going on? Who’s that in the picture?”

  “Huh? Oh, that. I’m just trying to solve a mystery. That’s Gilderoy Lockhart, editor-in-chief of ‘The Weekly Sorceress’. A magazine absolutely infested with Wrackspurts, if you ask me.”

  “And why does he fascinate you so much? Don’t tell me he’s your type… He looks… pompous?”

  “My type? What type?” Luna asked, clearly puzzled by the implication. She continued without missing a beat. “It’s just that Ginny stopped by yesterday evening with this magazine and practically shoved it into my hands, all excited, saying he was ‘dreamy.’ But I’ve tried, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t seem to dream about him. Am I doing something wrong?”

  The question shattered Séléné’s tension. Nothing to worry about after all, it was just Luna being Luna.

  “Well, I guess that just means Ginny has a crush on the guy, not that she literally dreams about him. Or maybe she does, but I really don’t want to know about it.”

  “A crush? She didn’t seem crushed. Maybe a bit flushed, but that’s not unusual for her. That’s probably the red hair.”Apparently disappointed that there was no mystery to solve in the magazine’s pages anymore, Luna casually tossed it to the floor and turned her usual gaze on Séléné. The man in the photo, for his part, looked utterly scandalized by the poor treatment.

  “No, I mean she’s attracted to him? She thinks he’s handsome?”Séléné wasn’t sure how to expin it. She’d never had a crush either, only heard about the strange concept in passing in the schoolyard. Instead of trying to pretend to know more, she sat comfortably on the bed and began stroking Umbra, triggering a wave of satisfied purring.

  “I think I see. Well, she should know better. A few years ago, he was arrested for trying to Obliviate a Romanian wizard. According to Daddy, he wanted to write a book pretending to be the hero or something like that. I didn’t quite follow all the details, but he even spent some time in a Romanian prison because of it.”

  Luna shifted on the bed, drawing closer to the other two, and began petting Umbra as well, who now looked to be in absolute heaven.

  “Then he came back and created ‘The Weekly Sorceress’ like nothing ever happened. Everyone knows the magazine is full of nonsense, and not the fun one, but people still buy it anyway. I asked Mummy why, but she told me I’d understand when I’m older, so I suppose I’ll just have to wait.”

  Perfectly satisfied with dropping the topic, Séléné took the change of focus in stride. Even if she, for her part, had a fair idea of why the magazine was still selling despite the known criminal past of Lockhart.

  The rest of the visit was absolutely perfect for Séléné. The two girls were chatting over everything and anything, mostly everything for Séléné, and just anything for Luna.They also pyed a lot in the garden, where Séléné marveled at all the unfamiliar pnts, especially the Dirigible Plums, which didn’t seem the least bit concerned by gravity. She thought that the world might be a really different pce if Newton had taken a nap under one of those instead of an apple tree.

  While pying, Luna kept talking most of the time. She liked to describe some of the magical creatures that poputed the wizarding world, like Nifflers and Puffskeins, which Séléné had already come across in her books, but also others far less familiar.The ones that intrigued her the most were the Grindlefps and the Grablehatches. Apparently, the former were nocturnal aquatic animals that had to nest in trees to reproduce, while the tter were tree-dwellers that needed to y their eggs in water. Since both species had synchronized mating seasons, they ran into each other quite often halfway between their habitats.

  Séléné had no idea whether the creatures actually existed or not and ultimately didn't really care. What mattered was that Luna believed in them.

  After several hours and a lively dinner, punctuated by Xenophilius’ antics and Pandora’s mock-exasperated sighs, Gabriel called through the firepce to let them know they were back at their home.

  One warm goodbye ter, Séléné and Umbra were back in their own living room. She was burning with curiosity about Hogwarts, but the mysterious smile on Gabriel’s face told her enough: the visit had gone well, and she wouldn’t be getting any useful details out of her father.

  Pretending to be thoroughly offended by the ck of report, Séléné darted off to her room. After a hot bath, she slipped into bed, where Miyu came to tuck her in and assure her, yes, everything had gone smoothly, yes, she would love the school, and no, talking about it too much would only ruin the surprise.

  Drifting into peaceful sleep, Séléné's dreams were, for once, free of Okuni’s presence, filled instead with strange creatures migrating between rivers and treetops.

  oOoOo

  “Are you sure you’ll be alright? There’s still time to change your mind if you need to,” Gabriel said, looking a little concerned.In front of him, the group was getting ready to head to Diagon Alley for some st-minute summer shopping. Miyu, Pandora, Séléné, and Luna had been pnning this little “girls’ day out” for a week now, while Gabriel was staying home to look after Umbra.

  He had offered to come along, but Miyu knew perfectly well that, while he never hesitated to accompany her on shopping trips, it was far from his idea of fun.

  As for Pandora, she seemed positively delighted. Her spasms made it difficult to go out with Luna on her own, and Xenophilius was… not exactly the most helpful companion for this kind of outing. Additionally, she had really hit it off with Miyu, who was a pleasure to be around. Her mundane background and Japanese upbringing gave her a unique insight on most subjects.

  “Yes, we are sure, you big strong man, we’ll be perfectly fine.” Miyu answered reassuringly while patting her husband on the chest. “It’s just a bit of robe shopping, so feel free to go do whatever mysterious things husbands get up to when their betters are away.”

  Gabriel rolled his eyes at the easy jab and pressed a quick affectionate kiss to Miyu’s lips, an act that immediately triggered a loud chorus of “Ewwww” from the two young girls, who turned around in perfect sync while covering their eyes.

  Rather than respond with more teasing, Gabriel simply blew a raspberry towards his daughter and her friend. The girls giggled, then moved toward the firepce with practiced ease.

  One after the other, they vanished in a swirl of green fire, the fmes briefly lighting up the room as the group set off on their day.

  Once they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, the women quickly agreed to head straight into the Alley and save the ice cream break for ter.

  The first stop on their little excursion was a trunk shop.

  Originally, Séléné had pnned to use the chest left behind by Okuni, but it turned out to be a multi-drawer cabinet, far from practical for train travel. On top of that, it was too fragile and ornate to be anything other than decorative.

  Luna also needed a trunk anyway. Her mother’s was still in use, and her father’s… was stored in the attic and currently occupied by a creature of still-undefined origin.

  After a few minutes of strolling down the Alley, the girls chatting happily and pointing things out under the amused gaze of their mothers, they arrived in front of the travel goods shop.

  The sign above the storefront proudly read ‘Lou Gage & Co’, written over a stylized chest that was represented with hundred of tiny legs and a huge tongue coming from its opening. It was standing atop the back of a huge turtle that seemed to be swimming through stars.

  The image was weird, but it was the slogan written just below in smaller lettering that gave both Miyu and Séléné pause:

  ‘Magic Mobility – Mostly Mimic-Free’.

  They didn't know what a Mimic was, however, since neither Pandora nor Luna seemed the least bit concerned, they decided not to dwell on it and stepped into the shop.

  The lighting was a little dim, but the pce smelled wonderfully of polish and fresh varnish, warm, woody, and inviting, like old furniture and newly cquered floors.

  While Miyu and Pandora engaged the shopkeeper in quiet conversation, discussing avaible models, pricing, and all those dull details adults seemed to enjoy, Séléné and Luna slipped away between the dispys, drifting through rows of polished trunks and enchanted travel cases like explorers in a museum of curiosities.

  Some options seemed perfectly reasonable, like a backpack fitted with a featherweight charm and self-adjusting straps, or a book bag with an auto-sorting feature that always let you pick up the title you needed. Others… bordered on the ridiculous. One heavy chest boldly advertised an Olympic-sized swimming pool hidden inside its compartments. Séléné blinked at the sign, then cast a sidelong gnce at Luna. “I guess someone thinks wizards like swimming,” she murmured, not so secretly thinking that outside of quidditch, wizards didn't seem to enjoy physical activities. “Maybe for cooling down potions?” Luna offered helpfully.

  A few steps ter, tucked into a far corner beneath a dusty shelf and a vintage mirror, something else caught Séléné’s eye. It looked like an old doctor’s satchel, but covered in faded floral tapestry. The csp was undone, and from the opening peeked the handle of an umbrel, its grip carved into the head of a sleeping parrot, complete with drooping eyelids and a tiny, carved snore. A tag hung from the handle on a fraying bit of string, reading in neat, looping script:‘Not for sale. On hold until the next wind shift.’

  Séléné tilted her head, about to crouch for a closer look, when a call from the front interrupted her.

  Miyu and Pandora had apparently made their choice.

  The girls rejoined them at the counter, where two identical trunks now waited: sturdy, two-compartment designs, one side for clothes, the other for school supplies, both enchanted for lightness and security.As a thank-you for the double purchase, the shopkeeper offered to engrave their initials for free on the lids.

  When the work was done, Luna leaned over the cases to inspect the elegant lettering. One read ‘LCL’, the other, ‘SUD’.

  She tilted her head, expression mildly puzzled. “I can’t help but feel there’s a joke banked in there, somewhere,” she mused. “But I can’t quite put my finger on it… maybe in the future?”

  Once the trunks were paid for, minimized, and tucked away for the rest of the outing, the group left the shop to the sound of the shopkeeper’s cheerful farewells. Back in the heart of Diagon Alley, they resumed their errands, this time heading toward Madam Malkin’s to buy their robes.

  As they passed the Quidditch shop, expertly avoiding the crowd, Séléné spotted a red-haired girl she recognized instantly. Said girl was admiring a racing broom through the dispy window. “Hey, hi Rose. Doing some window gazing?” she called out. The girl, visibly lost in her thoughts, jumped a little at the unexpected greeting. Luna, meanwhile, was staring at the gss with a puzzled expression, likely wondering why anyone would want to gaze at a window for so long.

  “Oh, Séléné. And Mrs Denge. Sorry, I didn’t see you coming. And yes, I’m just looking, Dad and Harry are inside buying him a new broom for his quidditch try-outs; Mum took a detour to the apothecary, something about dried Billywig stings, I think.” Her gaze flickered towards Luna, who was now lightly tapping the gss with a slender finger, as if attempting to communicate with it.

  Séléné, unfazed by Luna’s usual antics, carried on smoothly. “This is Luna, my best friend, and her mother, Pandora Lovegood. Mrs Lovegood, Luna, this is Rose Potter.” Once the polite nods and greetings were exchanged, Séléné added, “We’re on our way to Madam Malkin’s,” Séléné expined, gesturing towards the elegant robes shop further down the alley. “We just picked up our trunks.”

  “We did it the other way around,” Rose replied. “We started with robes. Harry desperately needed new ones; he’s grown so much over the summer. And after Harry picks his broom, honestly, he’s been talking about nothing else, we’ll head out to get my trunk. Speak of the Kneazle, here they come.”

  As if summoned by her words, three more figures approached. Polite introductions were exchanged quickly. James and Harry were unmistakably father and son. When they stepped out of the shop, both with equally messy hair and matching cocky grins, one holding a brand-new broom; the resembnce was uncanny.

  But now that the introductions were over, Harry remained quiet, hanging back slightly while his father nudged him pyfully with an elbow, amused by his sudden shyness.

  A few minutes of pleasant small talk ensued. They discussed the impending start of the school year, the excitement of Quidditch try-outs, and the usual summer adventures. Luna offered a thoughtful observation about the migratory patterns of Gulping Plimpies, which was met with polite, if slightly bemused, nods.Finally, the two groups parted ways, each continuing their respective errands in the vibrant heart of Diagon Alley.

  oOoOo

  The visit to Madam Malkin’s went exactly as expected: thoroughly dull and entirely uneventful. Séléné and Luna both stood on fitting stools, arms slightly raised, while Madam Malkin and her assistant took what could only be described as an amused delight in the girls’ discomfort while measuring them from every possible angle. The mothers, meanwhile, sat comfortably nearby, openly and loudly making fun of the girls’ increasingly theatrical expressions of boredom.

  Fabric was cut. Needles were poked. Thread was stitched.

  By the end of the visit, far too long, in both girls’ opinion, they were practically dozing off in each other’s arms like two sleepy mannequins left too long on dispy.Madam Malkin, used to this kind of reaction, stayed unfazed and promised to deliver both sets of finished robes to The Rookery via Floo the following afternoon.

  Once back outside, the brisk te-afternoon London air seemed to breathe life back into the two girls, both visibly relieved to be set free after what had clearly been a prolonged session of textile-based torture.

  Still amused, Miyu and Pandora offered them a choice: visit the Magical Menagerie to pick out a companion for Luna, or head to the ice cream parlour for a well-deserved sweet break.

  The decision didn’t take long. Unsurprisingly, the girls immediately veered off toward the pet shop, buzzing with renewed enthusiasm.

  oOoOo

  “Est-ce que tu es s?re que tu n’as rien oublié?” (Are you sure you didn’t forget anything?)

  It was the morning of September 1st, and Séléné was pushing her trolley along Ptform 9?, weaving skillfully between other families. Apparently, Gabriel, who was trotting nervously behind her, was far more anxious than she was, as he had just asked the same question for the third time.

  “Yes, Dad, I’m sure. And even if I did, it’s not lost forever, you can always send it by owl.”

  “You won’t forget to contact us by mirror as soon as you can, right? Promise?”

  Séléné let out an amused sigh. “Of course I promise.”Ignoring her father’s nerves, she continued her journey forward across the ptform.

  “Luna and her family, just ahead,” Miyu said softly, speaking up for the first time. She had just spotted the trio of pale blond heads, and more notably, Xenophilius’ colorful suit, which stood out quite a bit, even on a ptform full of wizards in eccentric clothing.

  With their destination now clearly in view, the two trios soon closed the distance. A polite nod from the fathers, a warm smile from the mothers, and an enthusiastic hug between the girls marked the start of the reunion.

  Suddenly, Séléné spun around and faced her father, her expression stricken with a horrified kind of worry.

  “Oh no! Dad, I forgot something!”

  “What? Seriously? What is it?” Gabriel asked, now nearly as armed as his daughter.

  “I forgot…” her face of mock dread melted into a pyful smile, “to give you a hug!”

  Before he had time to respond, Séléné wrapped her arms around him in a rush of affection.

  “Stop worrying over nothing. Everything will be just fine, and Christmas isn’t far off.”

  After a heartwarming moment where both girls said goodbye to their families, Gabriel helped them find a compartment and lift their trunks aboard. Even with featherweight charms, the cases remained bulky and awkward to manage.

  At st, after a bit of combined effort and some discreet panting, the girls settled comfortably into their newly cimed compartment.

  Gabriel, making sure everything was in order and that they had everything they needed, returned to the ptform, where Miyu was waiting with a gentle smile. Just then, a long, sharp whistle burst from the impatient locomotive, slicing through the air. It was quickly followed by the distant toll of a bell announcing the present time: eleven o’clock, the long-awaited moment of departure.

  Séléné and Luna pressed themselves against the window in unison, waving frantically at their families, their smiles meant to be reassuring despite the tight knot of emotion in their throats. They kept waving until their parents became little more than indistinct dots fading into the distance.

  A quiet hush settled over the compartment, broken only by the steady ctter of the wheels on the rails.

  Once alone, the two friends flopped onto the cushioned seats, their wide grins slightly too bright to be natural, an awkward attempt to mask the nervousness that clung to them. The thrill of departure was still shy, hesitant, grappling with the apprehension of the unknown.

  A new and extraordinary adventure was just beginning.

  1oOoOo

  Author’s Note: (Don’t worry, it won’t become a habit)Please don't hesitate to comment or rate if you like this story. (Or if you dislike it, too)