Tonight, Luna wore a pair of earrings made from gorse flowers. The pale yellow petals curled slightly, clustering beneath her earlobes.
The fragrance attracted a firefly, which quietly landed on the petals. Its tail emitted a soft, warm light, like a tiny lantern added to her earrings.
In the faint glow, the girl's profile looked delicate and gentle—like an elf stepping out of a fairy tale.
Rolf couldn't take his eyes off her. Dazed, he murmured, "Yes… of course you're right."
Then he realized Luna hadn't been talking to him.
He turned his gaze a beat late and saw Wade step out from behind a haystack, having just lifted his Disillusionment Charm.
"It's so late—what are you two doing out here?" Wade asked, taking the initiative.
"We're looking for Tzitz beetles," Luna said lightly.
She showed him the glass jar in her hand. Inside was a thin twig, on which several golden beetles sat motionless.
"Tzitz beetles?"
It was Wade's first time seeing such tiny creatures—and what surprised him even more was that they faintly carried traces of magic, though weaker even than a Flobberworm's.
Roughly on par with a single Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean.
"Tzitz beetles usually live near Abraxans' habitats," Rolf explained eagerly, now in his element. "Sometimes you can also find them in old graveyards or abandoned castles.
"They feed on the oils and impurities secreted by Abraxans, and they also hunt very small insects. Plus, Tzitz beetles are one of the bowtruckle's favorite snacks."
"I see," said Wade. "You're gathering food for the bowtruckle?"
"That's right." Luna looked worried. "My friend Ailo hasn't been in great spirits lately. I think maybe a change in diet will cheer it up."
"And I said we could come look together tonight," Rolf added. "Because Agel hasn't been very active recently either."
"The Abraxans aren't exactly known for their good temper," Wade warned. "And if the Beauxbatons people catch you two sneaking around, you could be in trouble."
He drew his wand. "I'll help. Once we've got enough beetles, you'd better head straight back to the castle."
Rolf nodded, tugged Luna to his side, and looked expectantly at the young wizard with a shine in his amber eyes.
Wade gave his wand a light flick.
"Tzitz beetles—Accio!"
—Though the Summoning Charm usually worked only on inanimate objects, magical creatures like beetles, frogs, and Nifflers often couldn't resist its call.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than dozens of golden beetles came flying out from the corners of the stables and even off the Abraxans themselves, landing with a soft patter before Wade—like a rain of beetles.
"Enough, enough," Luna said quickly. "We don't need that many."
She and Rolf crouched down, each picking up a few beetles and slipping them into the glass jar. The remaining Tzitz beetles lingered in confusion for a moment before scurrying back toward the stables, guided by scent.
"Let's go," Luna said to Rolf with a smile. "We'll feed the beetles to Ailo, and then head back to the castle."
"Sure!" Rolf couldn't help but grin as he replied, "I guarantee that once it's eaten, it'll perk right up immediately!"
…
Bowtruckles all lived among the hedge walls of the labyrinth. They were companions that students were required to bring along when participating in the maze games.
In theory, the Bowtruckles were assigned to students at random. But although these creatures were small, they had big tempers and very distinct personalities.
If they liked a student, they would cling to them all day long; but if they didn't, they would simply ignore the person completely.
Ailo and Agel were two of the bowtruckles that lived in the maze. As soon as the group reached the hedge wall, one small Bowtruckle appeared as though it had been waiting there all along. It eagerly stretched out its long, thin fingers, hooked onto Rolf's scarf, and clambered onto him.
"Agel!" Rolf said happily. "Guess what I brought you?"
He pulled out the glass jar, and the little green Bowtruckle immediately leapt over, pried out the stopper with all its strength, tossed it aside, and plunged one branchlike arm into the jar to grab a beetle. Then it lifted it up and began to suck out the juices.
Rolf lifted his arm to better support the jar and the little creature, making it easier for his friend to feed.
But when they found Luna's little friend, "Ailo," it hadn't regained any spirit at all.
The tiny Bowtruckle was curled up on a withered twig. Its greenish-blue skin had turned dull and dry, like bark that had lost its moisture. Only the occasional twitch of its small claws showed that it was still alive.
Even when a golden beetle was placed beside it, it showed no interest—just shifted slightly, as if letting out a faint, weary sigh.
"Its condition is worse than the last time I saw it," Luna said softly to Wade.
She carefully lifted the Bowtruckle into her hands and murmured thoughtfully, "Oh, dear one, did you eat something you shouldn't have? Did a Snorkack drain your life force? Or are you sick? Rolf… can Madam Pomfrey heal Ailo?"
"I'm afraid not."
Rolf leaned closer, gently pinching one of Ailo's tiny claws before letting go. The limp little paw dropped softly into Luna's palm.
"This condition is very rare—I've never seen it before… I'll have to send it to my grandfather. He might know how to cure it."
"Wait…" Wade said. "Let me take a look."
Luna carefully placed the Bowtruckle into Wade's hand. He studied it for a moment, muttering a few obscure incantations under his breath.
Rolf watched him closely—his expression now was almost identical to how Wade once looked when he'd watched Dumbledore casting a spell.
After a moment, Wade raised his eyes and said firmly, "It's been affected by some kind of dark magic."
"Dark magic?" Luna and Rolf exclaimed in unison.
Wade didn't explain how he'd come to that conclusion. Instead, he pointed his wand at the small creature in his palm and softly recited a general counter-curse.
The little Bowtruckle hadn't actually been cursed—it had merely absorbed some lingering traces of dark energy, an unfortunate victim caught in the aftermath.
A few minutes later, it began to stir slightly, managing to lift its body a bit. The leaf sprouting from its head trembled twice, and it made a faint, chirping murmur.
Luna leaned closer and asked seriously, "Are you trying to tell us something?"
Ailo: "Chirp… coo-coo… chirp-chirp-chirp-coo…"
Luna stared at it without blinking. It wasn't clear whether she understood or not—but Wade, watching her calm, unreadable expression, felt a faint sense of unease.
Fortunately, there was another creature present that could communicate smoothly with Ailo.
Agel, who had been crunching on a beetle's dried wings like potato chips, suddenly lifted its head. It froze completely and listened intently with the leaf atop its head trembling ever so slightly.
Moments later, Agel grew agitated. Its long claws clutched tightly at Rolf's collar, its round eyes wide as it let out a series of rapid "clack-clack" sounds—clearly trying to say something urgent.
"Wait, wait—don't panic," Rolf said quickly. "I'm not my grandfather; I can't understand what you're saying right away…"
The little Bowtruckle released his collar, pushed off with its legs, and leapt onto the nearby hedge wall. Then it turned back and beckoned to them.
The meaning couldn't have been clearer. The group followed it, walking along the outer edge of the maze wall for about ten minutes. Then the Bowtruckle pointed toward a dense patch of shrubs ahead, letting out a sharp "hissss."
"What's over there?" Luna asked curiously, taking a step forward.
"Wait," Wade stopped her. "Don't get too close—you don't know what's in there."
"Be careful," Rolf warned, struggling to interpret Agel's frantic gestures. "It says—danger… smells bad… filthy thing…"
As he spoke, Wade lifted his wand and murmured, "Depulso."
The entire shrub quivered, its roots loosening as if pulled by invisible hands, slowly parting to reveal what lay beneath.
Wade found that the spell worked much easier than expected—as though the bush had been moved not long ago, its roots yet to dig deep into the soil.
But that thought vanished from his mind almost instantly, replaced by a creeping chill spreading from the pit below.
A wave of decay surged up from the hollow, forcing everyone to cover their noses. Rolf's Bowtruckle bolted away at once.
Dark clouds drifted aside, and moonlight spilled down from the night sky—illuminating, at the bottom of the pit, a pale, gleaming skeleton.
--------------------------------
🙏🙏Please consider supporting this translation project by becoming a P@treon member!!!
Your support is greatly appreciated!
Available on my P@treon page for just $4!!
Early access to the following translations:-
⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- 200+ Chapters
⭐MCU: Druid's Adventures (MCUDA)(⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 460
⭐Famous Police Detective in Detective World (FPDDW)- +165 advance chapters
⭐Marvel: Little Genius (MLG) (⭐COMPLETE⭐) - Total Chapter 450
[email protected]/Lightreaper457
--------------------------------