Chapter 145: Preparation Before Departure
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Notice: Chapter 138: Anticipation didn't publish properly, and I didn't catch it in time (or even much later π). It's now been uploaded, and as an apology, I'll be dropping an extra large chapter tomorrow
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Vizet switched hands and snapped his fingers again. Another fallen leaf rose into the air, fluttering weightlessly.
Now two leaves floated before him, parallel, weaving gently in tandem with each other under his quiet control.
"I didn't chant!" he said, his voice full of disbelief and joy. "This isn't just silent casting β it's wandless too! Look β my hands! One's snapping, and the other isβ¦"
He froze.
His other hand was still holding Luna's.
The warmth of her palm met the coolness of her fingers β soft, light, unmistakably delicate.
And then he noticed her scent β faint, like sunlight on fresh grass, with a breeze of something softer, a kind of elusive forest sweetness that made him feel dizzy for a moment.
Above them, the two enchanted leaves seemed to lose their rhythm, one soaring toward the ceiling, the other diving dangerously low, almost brushing the floor. They spun and drifted as if caught in a chaotic storm.
"Silent casting? Wandless casting?" Luna asked, her tone as light as ever, as if they were discussing something as ordinary as the weather.
A soft pink had bloomed across her cheeks.
"It sounds like⦠a very remarkable spellcasting technique, doesn't it?"
Vizet's face burned. He cleared his throat and tried to explain, though his words stumbled out unevenly, "Well β it's not bad. This way of silent and wandless casting only works for the Levitation Charm right nowβ¦ It's a seemingly simple idea, but still, it's a pretty big step forward."
He took a breath, released her hand, and quickly reached for his wand.
"Accio leaves!"
The two fluttering leaves reversed direction and zipped back into his palm.
"I think I've made progress too," Luna said with a smile, picking up her wand and standing upright.
Then, in the most textbook-perfect tone imaginable, she pronounced, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
As her wand moved, Vizet could feel it β the same sensation he'd discovered earlier. The leaves in his hand were slowly lifted by a subtle current, as if Luna's intent had formed a breeze and the leaves were gliding on it.
She lowered her wand, held out her hand, and the two leaves floated gently down into her open palm.
"How did I do, Professor Vizet?"
Vizet laughed softly. "It took me ages to master the Levitation Charm. And now here you are, teaching me how to improve it."
He bowed slightly in his chair. "Thank you for the inspiration, Professor Luna."
Luna clasped her hands behind her back and swayed a little on her heels. "In that case⦠we'll both keep improving, Professor Vizet."
She hummed a quiet, tuneless melody, a smile dancing in her eyes.
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The next morning, Vizet rose early and tiptoed downstairs.
With Luna and Xenophilius still asleep, he quietly retrieved his wand and directed the kitchen utensils to prepare breakfast. The clinks and sizzles of enchanted cookware filled the room in a gentle rhythm, like the hum of a waking house.
Not long after, a soft creaking echoed from the stairwell. Luna appeared at the top, her wand in hand, carefully levitating a suitcase down the steps β inch by inch.
Vizet caught sight of her focused expression and smiled to himself. He didn't offer to help. This was Luna savoring the process, and he would never interrupt a moment like that.
Outside, the summer sun had already climbed high, casting a bright, cloudless blue across the sky. Another perfect day.
Just as Vizet finished frying the third egg and reached for a plate, Sol and Diana let out a coo from the garden.
Then, a sharp knock came at the door β followed immediately by the unmistakable voices of Fred and George Weasley drifting in from beyond the hedgerow.
"So this is what the seeds turn into? I've never seen flowers in that colour!"
"Neither have I! This is brilliant. It's one colour now, but it changes with the seasons?"
A stern voice followed swiftly after.
"George! Be quiet!"
"But Mum, I'm Fred!"
"And I'm George! Oh, Mum β how could you mix us up?"
"Yes, it's tragic! Fourteen years, and you still can't tell us apart? Devastating!"
Molly Weasley's tone softened with a sigh. "All right, all right! George, Fred β I'm sorry, okay?"
There was a pause.
"Well, Mum, I am George! You got it right!"
"Hahaha! But we'll accept your apology either way!"
A high-five cracked through the garden like a spell.
Luna, now downstairs, smiled and opened the front door. "Good morning, Mrs. Weasley!"
Molly's voice turned instantly warm. "Luna, dear! Good morning! You're up early too? Is your father in the kitchen? I saw the smoke from outside."
"No, it's Vizet who's cooking," Luna said brightly. "Come in!"
The Weasleys stepped into the living room just as Vizet was beating another egg.
"Merlin's beard," Molly breathed. "If you two" β she looked pointedly at the twins β "were half as reliable as Vizet, your poor mother would have far fewer grey hairs."
"We can help clean up the gnomes!"
"We do feed the chickens!"
"We're just not Percy."
"But our grades are decent!"
Fred and George rattled off their contributions like salesmen, ticking points off their fingers.
Molly laughed despite herself.
"All right, all right! I know you're wonderful. But if you caused fewer incidents at Hogwarts, I'd receive fewer complaint letters!"
Vizet turned from the stove, extinguishing the flame. "Good morning, Mrs. Weasley. Fred. George. Would you like some fried eggs?"
"Such a sweet boy," Molly beamed, waving a hand. "No need, dear. I already made oatmeal for everyone. Xenophilius mentioned you'd be traveling soon, so he asked me to help look after the garden."
Vizet bowed his head politely. "So Mr. Lovegood has troubled you with the task β thank you so much!"
Fred and George waved off the gratitude with a grin. One of them added, "If you're headed to Sweden, bring back something local!"
"The weirder, the better! We love strange souvenirs!"
"Enough, you two!" Molly shot them a look. "This is just neighbors helping neighbors. Don't worry about it."
At that moment, Xenophilius wandered downstairs, his hair a wild tangle and his eyes still heavy with sleep. "Good morning, Molly..." he yawned. "Sorry β I stayed up packing."
He was holding a notebook made of cowhide leather, aged and weathered at the edges. With a sheepish look, he handed it to Molly.
"Just water the plants once a day. If anything strange happens, this will help." He tapped the cover."Just place the notebook near the affected plant, and the right solution will appear on the page."
Vizet blinked, impressed. Even a notebook could act like a diagnostic charm? Magic truly was astonishing.
Luna leaned closer to him and whispered with a small smile, "My mum made it. I used it until I'd figured out every plant in the garden."
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