Nurmengard's protective enchantments were formidable and meticulously designed.
Even a Phoenix or a House-elf Apparating inside would trigger alarms, bringing swarms of Aurors within five minutes.
Wayne strongly suspected this feature existed specifically for Dumbledore.
He was the only one in the world with a Phoenix, and his ambiguous history with Grindelwald made him the obvious security concern.
Through their mental connection, Ho-Oh quickly memorised the safe route into Nurmengard. After nuzzling Wayne's cheek affectionately, the Phoenix vanished from the bedroom.
With everything arranged, Wayne returned to bed.
Tomorrow he'd have to properly thank Susan – her aunt had spoken up for him after all.
...
Meanwhile, Ho-Oh flew and teleported swiftly beyond Britain's borders, reaching the Pyrenees mountains.
At the perimeter wards, the black tower became visible. Descending as instructed, she followed Wayne's prescribed route straight to Grindelwald's chamber.
A wave of scorching heat announced her arrival, jolting Grindelwald from sleep with alertness flashing in his eyes.
Only upon seeing the Phoenix did he relax.
"Do you enjoy giving people heart attacks in the middle of the night?"
Grindelwald's expression darkened – he'd genuinely suspected an assassination attempt.
With regal indifference, Ho-Oh simply dropped the letter before him.
Grindelwald unfolded it, reading by the Phoenix's fiery glow before chuckling.
"What a child, still playing the Ministry's silly games."
In his view, Wayne's elaborate measures were pointless – either crush opposition with overwhelming force or manipulate Muggle systems for amusement.
This... was tantamount to flipping the game board entirely.
"Screech!"
Ho-Oh let out an indignant cry at Grindelwald's assessment, her flames burning brighter in protest.
"Be careful." Grindelwald raised his hand and conjured a protective shield around the bed to prevent it from being reduced to ashes by Ho-Oh's fiery wrath.
"I never said I wouldn't agree. Your temper is far fiercer than Fawkes's."
"Chirp chirp!"
"Apologies, I never learned the language of Phoenixes, nor do I possess your master's gift. I can't understand what you're saying."
Grindelwald sat in his chair, deliberating for a long while before finally picking up a piece of parchment to begin writing.
He had already intended to gather the surviving members of his loyalists. After his imprisonment, they had scattered like loose sand, suppressed and monitored by their respective Ministries of Magic.
No one had been able to step forward and unite them all.
Moreover, choosing an unsuitable leader could easily push these survivors into another abyss. Better to let them linger on as they were now.
That boy Lawrence was the most suitable candidate.
His background ensured he wouldn't lead the loyalists back down a path of extremism. A Muggle-born Archmage—throughout history, there seemed to be only one such case.
Most crucially, only Wayne could protect these people in Dumbledore's presence.
Otherwise, no matter how many they were, they'd remain nothing more than a disorganised rabble.
Last time, he had half-tested, half-seriously broached the subject. Though Dumbledore had stopped him, his stance hadn't been particularly firm.
This was the perfect opportunity for Wayne to establish ties with the loyalists.
With this in mind, Grindelwald wrote down a long list of names.
These were his most trusted followers—people whose loyalty even death couldn't erode.
"Take this to your master." Grindelwald handed the parchment to Ho-Oh. "These people can be relied upon. They may be old bones, but they can still move when needed."
Ho-Oh grasped the parchment and scattered a shower of sacred flames over Grindelwald, revitalising him further before flying out the window.
...
The next day, as he read Grindelwald's reply:
"Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy... huh? Even the northern regions?"
Wayne realised he had vastly underestimated Grindelwald's influence in his heyday.
The list wasn't long—just over a dozen names—but they were spread across most of Europe's major nations, with even two from the northern bear country.
And judging by their surnames, they were all pure-bloods.
Of course. What else would the most fervent supporters of the original Dark Lord be? Only their prestigious backgrounds could have preserved their lives.
At the end of the letter was a small spell of Grindelwald's own creation. Any loyalist who saw the Deathly Hallows symbol drawn in this particular manner would immediately recognise it as Grindelwald's handiwork—a sort of anti-counterfeit measure.
After committing all the information to memory, Wayne set the parchment alight, reducing it to ashes.
Only then did he leave his dormitory.
At the door, he happened to meet Susan, who was with Hannah. Wayne gave her a pendant containing three Apparition spells, capable of transporting her up to a hundred miles away.
Amelia Bones was one of the rare competent and uncorrupted officials in the Ministry. Though they hadn't interacted much before, she had spoken up for him. He owed her this much.
...
After spending the morning brewing beauty potions with Cho and having lunch, Wayne didn't forget his promise and sought out Luna.
"Where are we going?"
"Just anywhere is fine. Where do you usually like to go?"
"Usually..." Luna looked down in thought. "Usually, I go find Ginny."
Wayne: "..."
"Today isn't suitable for bringing Ginny." Wayne looked down at the little girl. "Let me say this upfront - today I just want to study you."
"..."
Even Luna couldn't help taking a step back at these ambiguous words.
In the storybooks of the wizarding world's children, Dark Wizards always began with similar phrases. No, even Dark Wizards were more tactful than this.
Luna tilted her head, studying the young man. Only after confirming she sensed no dangerous aura did she ask softly:
"Will it hurt?"
"No." Wayne shook his head, then reconsidered. "Well... it shouldn't."
A flicker of puzzlement crossed Luna's eyes. She thought for a while before agreeing.
"I want to go to the Forbidden Forest."
"Fine."
"..."
The two left the castle and followed the path towards the Forbidden Forest. When passing by the small wooden hut, neither Hagrid nor his hound Fang were present—perhaps they'd meet inside the forest.
Upon entering the woods, Luna's steps grew noticeably lighter. She shifted from trailing behind Wayne to walking ahead of him.
The golden-haired girl seemed to have returned home, shedding all burdens.
"You really like the Forbidden Forest?"
"Mmm." Luna extended her hand as a butterfly alighted on her fingers. "I love the atmosphere here. Lively yet peaceful."
She'd used two contradictory words to describe the same thing, making even Wayne frown in confusion.
"Tell me about the stars," Wayne changed the subject. "You can really see stars around me?"
"Always."
"What kind of stars? And since when?" Wayne knitted his brows.
Luna thought carefully before answering: "That time Ginny and I met you. Since then, there've been many stars around you... and they keep growing brighter."
Looking skyward.
Wasn't this rather absurd?
He distinctly remembered that it was shortly after receiving the inheritance.
Wait... how could she possibly...?
"Can you describe it more precisely? What exactly does it feel like?" Wayne pressed further, but Luna's explanation left him utterly bewildered.
Then inspiration struck the boy.
"How about you draw it? You can draw, right?"
Luna didn't refuse.
Soon Wayne procured paper and pens, even preparing over a dozen coloured inks for better representation. Transfiguring a log into an easel and conjuring a small stool, Luna began sketching while Wayne watched briefly before growing drowsy and napping nearby.
He only woke groggily when someone shook him.
"Finished?"
"Mmm."
Yawning, he approached the easel and raised his eyebrows at the images. "Why two pictures?"
"One is the old you. One is the current you."
"Then why is there only one person?"
Luna looked up at him. "Because... the old you was the sun. The current you is just you."
Wayne felt his brain short-circuiting.
He picked up both drawings. The first depicted only a red sun, with tiny black dots representing people scattered in the far distance. The second showed a large figure at the centre, surrounded by hundreds of twinkling stars.
"So in your eyes, I wasn't human before?" Wayne finally managed after a long pause.
"The person was inside the light. I couldn't see clearly," Luna murmured.
"That's a feeling, not what you actually saw."
"No, this is what I saw."
The boy stared into her slightly protruding eyes and—uncharacteristically—employed the Legilimency Spell.
Though highly unethical, he considered himself adaptable enough to lower his moral standards temporarily.
"Give me a moment to think." Wayne plopped onto a tree stump, deep in thought.
Undoubtedly, this girl had something special.
Luna hadn't lied—she genuinely believed she'd seen these visions.
Perhaps that was indeed her perception.
He couldn't decipher what the sun represented, but the stars were undoubtedly connected to the dragon inheritance.
Other top-tier wizards had sensed it too.
For instance, Nicolas and Dumbledore had both noticed the changes in Wayne, yet neither could articulate them as precisely as Luna.
Intuition, the Inner Eye, or something unique to the soul?
At first, he'd thought Luna resembled his grandmother Queenie – a natural Legilimency master. But now he realised how shallow that assumption had been. This went far beyond Legilimency.
No one wanted their secrets laid bare, even if they weren't their deepest ones.
At that moment, Luna took two steps back, frowned, and raised her hands protectively.
"You're thinking dangerous thoughts."
"Correct." Wayne didn't deny it. The moment the thought had formed, she'd detected it. Lying would be pointless.
"That ability of yours is terrifying. It might become problematic for me."
The blonde girl blinked in surprise, then shook her head earnestly. "No, we're friends. I'd never hurt you."
"But I detest the unknown." Wayne slowly clenched his right fist. The surrounding trees bent inward, forming a domed canopy that enclosed them both.
As sunlight dimmed, starlight shimmered around Wayne's form.
"You weren't mistaken. There truly are many stars around me."
"Luna, sometimes knowing too much isn't a good thing." Wayne gazed at the girl before him, stepping forward to stroke her long hair. His fingers wrinkled slightly.
"How long since you washed this? It's rather greasy."
However peculiar she might be, Luna was still a teenage girl. She slapped his hand away indignantly.
"It's the Potter Hair Tonic's fault..."
"I'll pretend that's true." Wayne shrugged, his rejected hand now silently resting against Luna's neck as he murmured:
"What if one day you reveal my secrets?"
"This is just the beginning. There may be more changes... more secrets to come..."
Luna said nothing, merely blinking up at him with wide eyes.
Truth be told, in terms of pure facial features, Luna wasn't the most beautiful girl. But combined with her peculiar aura...
It stirred something dark in Wayne's heart.
He wanted to taint this pure white flower – any colour would do, so long as it wasn't this pristine.
The urge to destroy beauty – this was humanity's primal flaw, buried deep in their genes.
"What should I do about this?" the young man asked with feigned distress.
"You don't want to kill me." Luna had grown oddly calm, unfazed by his proximity. "I don't know how to make you trust me."
"True. I'm a Hufflepuff – hardly likely to murder you over hypotheticals." Wayne nodded approvingly. "You read people well."
"Death isn't necessary. But your freedom... that I must take."
"From now on, you belong to me."
Luna's eyes widened as the handsome youth leaned closer.
...
Half an hour later, they emerged from the Forbidden Forest.
The usually expressionless girl now wore a look of mild distress, her mouth working uncomfortably.
"Why there?" she complained.
"And why place the mark on my tongue? It feels... strange."
"Just your imagination." Wayne didn't turn around. "You won't notice it normally. Only when I activate it."
"Remember, don't mention anything about me to anyone, not even Ginny."
"I understand."
Luna walked behind the boy with her hands clasped behind her back, head lowered. In this short time, their relationship had undergone a strange transformation.
According to Wayne's explanation, she was now like a caged bird. Even if the cage door remained open, allowing her to soar freely, her final resting place would always be inside that cage.
This was a transaction that brooked no refusal. The price she paid was eternal secrecy, while Wayne's price was...
Luna raised her head, growing even angrier.
Right, what had Wayne actually sacrificed?
...
No one noticed Luna's change, not even Ginny, her closest friend, who remained unaware that her best friend had been reshaped by someone else.
However, her interactions with Wayne became more frequent. Even during tutoring sessions with Greengrass, Wayne would invite her along. Thanks to Luna, Ginny also ended up learning quite a bit.
Wayne taught her two spells: the Bat-Bogey Hex and Reductor Curse.
It could be said Ginny possessed the highest natural talent he'd ever seen in a student—particularly in Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts, where she mastered everything with minimal instruction.
Thus, time flowed until the eve of Halloween.
All permitted upper-year students gathered early at the main gates, queuing up for the trip to Hogsmeade. Among third-years, apart from the Slytherins, only Harry remained confined to the castle.
"Potter, don't get any foolish ideas," Snape said from the staff table, a smug smile twisting his lips. "Today you'll be attending remedial lessons with Slytherin until the feast begins."
"If your end-of-year results don't reach an 'Exceeds Expectations', I guarantee you won't set foot in Hogsmeade once next term."
He'd specifically remained at school to keep watch over Harry. Seeing those familiar eyes glaring daggers at him only deepened Snape's satisfaction.
...
At the castle gates, Filch inspected Wayne and Hermione's permission forms before they joined the stream of students heading to Hogsmeade.