"Do you wish to explore that system?" Simon asked, though the answer was already etched in the man's restless expression.
"But of course. Although exploring would be too far-fetched an idea for now. For now, I am researching ways to make contact," Cassian answered.
He turned a hopeful, searching gaze toward Simon.
He had requested the meeting for exactly that reason. He knew the vast resources and access the lord possessed, and he needed that weight behind him to fulfill his dream.
"Go to the Hawthorne spire tomorrow morning and give this to whomever may be sitting at the reception," Simon said, fulfilling the man's silent prayer.
He handed Cassian a silver card embossed with his house sigil in gold.
"Thank you," the eccentric man whispered. Simon offered a single nod and a faint smile in return before his form blurred into a streak of lightning, shooting through the open window and into the night sky.
He paid no mind to the awestruck expression of the man he left behind.
Simon ascended toward the heavy bank of clouds, where he found his wolf weaving through the mist, its body fully transitioned into a crackling form of elemental lightning.
"Enjoying yourself, are you boy?" Simon muttered. He smiled at the wolf before tilting his head back to look up at the specific star they had been discussing.
In the next heartbeat, he vanished. He reappeared in a place where the scenery was nothing short of a fever dream.
He was standing on a planet draped in a faint, glowing silver mist. Suspended in the sky, he watched translucent, jellyfish-like creatures drift through the air like slow-moving lanterns.
His son, Aaric, lay sprawled comfortably atop the back of the largest one.
"Well, he found the planets. Now what?" Simon asked as he sat down beside his son.
"I guess he is now finding ways to start communication," Aaric answered, offering a guess he seemed quite confident about.
"Hm. I gave him access to our resources to help with that," Simon said with a confirmative hum.
"Well then, now it is up to them," Aaric replied, answering his father's initial question as he sat up to face him.
"Do you really think it will be a positive experience for the wizarding community to make contact with them?" Simon asked, gesturing to the jellyfish floating serenely around them.
By "them," he meant the seven planets Daphne had created. Worlds teeming with fantastical magical life, active gods, and an understanding of magic that far surpassed the wizards of Earth.
"I hope it will be, Dad. After Voldy is gone and his Death Eaters are taken care of and they have some time heal. I hope it will be a good experience for them," Aaric said. His father met the sentiment with a gentle, proud smile.
"It would be nice if, by the time they make first contact with these planets, the wizards were finally working with muggles," Simon muttered, turning his gaze toward the distant sun.
"Elder Huo will take care of that. He said he would be staying for a bit longer, even after he eventually leaves for the next world," Aaric said with a casual shrug.
| Next day. The third task |
The next day arrived with a slow, mellow start. The families of the champions had been invited to Hogwarts for the third task, and the grounds were filled with parents and siblings exploring the castle alongside the students.
Early that morning, Aaric was greeted with a flurry of hugs and kisses from his mother. The girls stood beside him, quickly drawing her attention as well.
Simon, meanwhile, was busy reminiscing, telling Aaric stories about his own Hogwarts days and the various experiences he had within the stone walls.
Fleur's family was doting on her nearby, and beside them, Harry was greeting Molly and Arthur Weasley, who had arrived together with the Hawthornes.
Standing with them was a man with pink hair, a blonde mustache, and a sharp green suit. He was currently ruffling Harry's hair with the familiarity of a lifelong friend.
"Stop it... Sir...cuit," Harry muttered with a slight stutter, swatting away the man's hand.
Aaric grinned from the sidelines at the name Harry had improvised. He had come dangerously close to saying Sirius's real name.
"Mr. Sircuit. You and my dad were in Hogwarts at the same time, weren't you? Why don't you share some stories from back then?" Aaric asked 'Sircuit,' giving his father a crooked, mischievous smile.
"There is not much to tell, kid. He was alone most of the time, waving his wand around the castle whenever he learned a new spell," Sirius said, breaking into a loud laugh.
Apolline, Monsieur Delacour, and the Weasleys looked at one another as if they had just been let in on a profound secret.
Simon simply stared at Sirius with a tilted head, looking as though he were calmly contemplating murder, while Edwina giggled at his side.
"There are witnesses around, Hawthorne," Sirius said with a smug, defiant smile.
"And I wonder whose side they will take," Simon countered instantly.
"Well of course, I am with my dad," Aaric added, supporting his father immediately despite being the one who had started the fire.
"Sorry, Mr. Sircuit. But we are with Aaric," Daphne added, emphasizing the fake name while Luna and Fleur nodded in agreement.
Apolline and Monsieur Delacour wore helpless expressions. Their daughter had effectively tied their hands.
"Harry, Molly, Arthur..." Sirius pleaded, turning to the people he hoped might still support him. He even made his bottom lip quiver in a display of mock desperation.
"What are they talking about?" Gabrielle muttered to herself. She shrugged and placed her hands on her hips, pouting at Aaric. "I will help you, Mr."
The little girl stepped up to defend Sirius, mostly just to spite Aaric, and blew a raspberry at him for good measure.
"Oh! Thank you, kid. From now on, if you ever need anything, just call on Uncle... Sircuit, and I shall appear," Sirius declared boldly, only hesitating for a second at the ridiculous pseudonym.
The adults glanced at each other, trying their best not to pinch the girl's cheeks because of how cute she looked.
Edwina failed a moment later, bending down to rub Gabrielle's cheeks with a smile before she started doting on her.
Simon had no choice but to spare Sirius for the moment. Soon, Daphne and Luna joined Edwina in giving the little girl their full attention.
The day continued in that fashion as the group wandered the Hogwarts grounds.
Sirius made sure to point at every chair, corner, or pillar they passed, spinning tales of how he and his friends Jamshed, Remiss, and Traitor had caused mischief.
He never failed to add, "And that is where Simon would sit alone and practice spells," every single time they crossed a bench or a stone seat.