"Special?"
When Lucien heard this description from Luna, he could not help but wonder. This was his first time meeting the girl, so why would she suddenly say something like that?
Lucien asked gently, "Luna, why do you think I'm 'special'?"
Luna tilted her head, her vacant gaze sweeping over Lucien.
"Oh, you don't have a single Wrackspurt around you. How magical. I've never seen anything like this before."
"Wrackspurts?"
In Lucien's impression, Luna had a nickname: "Loony."
She could see things that ordinary people could not, and her behavior and words were also rather strange. He wondered which of these two traits caused the other.
Wrackspurts must be a special creature that only Luna could see. Well, her father too.
Hearing Lucien's question, Luna nodded lightly, moved closer to him, and extended her small hands to gently fan around his ears.
"Hmm, Wrackspurts… they're invisible, and they float into your ears and muddle your brain."
"It's really strange. You were clearly wondering just now, but you still didn't attract those little fellows."
Luna then reached up and touched her own ear, her thumb and forefinger pinched together as if holding an invisible bug.
"See, even if I put a Wrackspurt near you, it will actively… escape?"
Lucien watched as Luna pinched the "Wrackspurt" and brought it closer to him. Black, swirling vortices slowly appeared in his eyes.
There was nothing there.
The Eye of Peering Magic detected no trace of magic. This girl, Luna, truly was…
"But there are many other things around you. Hmm, they look so peculiar. I've never seen them before. It's like… it's like…"
"It's like they're from another world?"
The moment he heard this, the vortices in Lucien's pupils paused.
What exactly could this girl see?
What did she mean by "from another world"?
His soul had transmigrated, so it could indeed be said to be from another world.
And there were many other things around him? Things that had come along with his soul?
Lucien narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling both wary and curious about the girl in front of him.
Should he ask her what those things looked like?
"Oh, they're all gone! All gone in an instant, poof!"
Luna suddenly exclaimed, and a trace of excitement appeared in her vacant eyes. She could not help circling around Lucien, seemingly searching for the vanished things.
"They're all gone. Did you eat them?"
Luna looked up at Lucien and asked in her airy, ethereal tone.
This leap in logic left Lucien speechless.
Should he say, as expected of "Loony"?
He glanced at Ginny, who stood nearby looking completely bewildered.
It wasn't convenient to discuss it now. He would find an opportunity to have a proper chat with this junior later.
"Ginny, I'm leaving now. I need to go home for dinner. Oh, by the way, this Niffler is very cute, but a bit chubby. Perhaps you could put a little less in its pocket?"
"Lucien, see you at school."
Before Lucien could respond, Luna skipped away.
Lucien frowned as he took the Niffler from Ginny's hands.
It wasn't fat, was it?
Wasn't Ginger quite cute?
...
A few days later, Diagon Alley.
"Aunt Penelope, that's Gringotts, the second safest place in the world after Hogwarts. It's a wizarding bank…"
"That's Ollivanders wand shop. My wand was bought there. That family has been specializing in wand-making for over two thousand years…"
"That shop with many owls is Eeylops Owl Emporium. Didn't you want to buy one as a pet?"
Lucien was showing Aunt Penelope around Diagon Alley, the wizarding shopping street.
Visiting such a place for the first time, Aunt Penelope found everything quite novel. Her bright eyes surveyed the surroundings, and from time to time she chatted with her nephew about the magical items sold in the shops.
It was the start of another school year, and young witches and wizards, either accompanied by professors or by their parents, were coming to Diagon Alley to buy school supplies.
Lucien would be a second-year student once school started, and aside from new textbooks, he did not need to buy anything else.
Compared to the first year, Hogwarts' second-year curriculum did not increase. In fact, there was one less Flying class, though the duration of the other classes was extended accordingly.
"Lucien!"
A surprised shout rang out not far away.
A young witch with fluffy brown hair hurried over, her hair bouncing with each step.
After greeting Lucien, Hermione politely greeted Aunt Penelope.
She tried her best to appear composed and graceful, clearly not wanting to leave a bad impression on Lucien's aunt.
Although she had met her once at Lucien's birthday party, Hermione could not help marveling inwardly.
Lucien's aunt was so beautiful.
Hermione had also learned for the first time that Lucien's family background was actually so prominent, the kind that was completely unattainable in Muggle society.
Yet his aunt's attitude toward her was very gentle, without any hint of condescension, completely unlike those annoying pure-blood nobles in the wizarding world.
This also made Hermione breathe a sigh of relief. Remembering Lucien's usual approachable manner, she thought it must be the result of an excellent upbringing.
At that birthday party, Hermione and the others had also learned about Lucien's family situation for the first time. They discovered that his parents had passed away early, yet Lucien had never spoken about these things before, instead always appearing mature and steady.
Hermione felt a little strange, thinking that someone who usually appeared so strong might also have a soft and vulnerable side deep down.
The young witch chatted with Lucien about her summer experiences, while Penelope watched with a faint smile.
With Penelope's experience, how could she fail to notice the young girl's feelings? And not just the one in front of her. There was also another classmate Lucien had invited before, that blonde girl named Greengrass.
As for whether the wife Lucien would marry in the future would be a witch, Penelope was quite open-minded, as long as the child liked her.
After a brief conversation, the three of them went to Flourish and Blotts together.
"Breaking news!"
"The internationally renowned author, recipient of the Order of Merlin, Third Class, five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award, honorary member of the Anti-Dark Arts League, and author of bestsellers such as Break with a Banshee, Voyages with Vampires, Wanderings with Werewolves, and Year with a Yeti…"
"Mr. Gilderoy Lockhart!"
"Will be holding a book signing here in half an hour! Everyone may purchase Mr. Lockhart's works in advance and line up for the signing."
"One lucky reader will be drawn to have the opportunity to take a photo with Mr. Lockhart…"
Hearing the repeated promotional announcement, Lucien raised an eyebrow.
Ah, the future Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had arrived.
That man with a pile of titles was essentially a fraud and a thief.
He specialized in stealing other people's achievements, then using the Memory Charm to make them forget their own experiences.
Still, that Memory Charm truly was master-level. If the opportunity arose, Lucien would try to learn it.
Seeing his aunt chatting with Hermione's parents, Lucien found an excuse to leave for a while.
He needed to follow up on the cooperation deal he had discussed a few days earlier.
________
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