"Truly incredible," Ravenclaw said with a nod. "If you're busy, go ahead and take care of things. I'll stay here and do some research on my own."
"Alright," Dylan replied without hesitation. "You're free to explore most places, but please steer clear of two spots: the cabin at the coast's edge and the isolated island in the ocean. Those are my experimental grounds. If you'd like to visit, I'll need to accompany you."
Ravenclaw gave a gentle nod, her lips curving into a smile. "This is your world, and I'm just your caretaker. Of course, I'll follow your instructions."
Dylan waved a hand. "I'll head out then."
He had no intention of trying to bring Ravenclaw outside. He wasn't even sure what would happen if she left—would she revert to a portrait, stay as she is, or be unable to leave at all? For now, he wasn't willing to take that risk. He still needed time to figure out whether Ravenclaw was a spirit or something else entirely. So, for the moment, letting her stay in his world was the safest bet.
Leaving the suitcase space, Dylan stored it in his system panel. If he left the suitcase out in the open, Ravenclaw might find a way to slip out. But tucked away in the system panel, he was certain she couldn't escape. Even though she'd promised to stay put, Dylan wasn't about to take chances. It wasn't about distrusting her—it was just his habit. He'd even second-guess himself sometimes, let alone others. Call it overcaution, but it had nothing to do with his character.
"With Ravenclaw around, Lockhart can take a break. All he needs to do is follow her orders and handle some grunt work," Dylan mused. He'd essentially found a high-level caretaker for his world, like a spirit of a magical realm. Not only was she skilled in all sorts of magic, but her knowledge was vast. From now on, he might not even need to bother Professors Flitwick or McGonagall with questions—Ravenclaw could likely answer them.
Though magic had evolved over the years, and some knowledge might be new to her, Dylan figured she'd quickly catch up. That was just her nature.
"Next time, I'll put the portable magical library in the pet space," he thought. "And I should update it with more books."
Ravenclaw already had an impressive knowledge base, so learning modern magic wouldn't be too tough for her. Plus, the stronger she became, the better it was for him—no downsides there.
"Oh, right, tomorrow's Christmas. Time to hand out the gifts I prepared."
Dylan hadn't distributed them before leaving school. Since he'd brought Luna home, he wanted to spend Christmas with her. The gifts would be delivered tomorrow—ideally, placed so they'd be the first thing people saw when they woke up.
As for how to deliver them… Dylan chuckled and summoned Luna with a wave.
"Hoo?" Luna tilted her head, looking at him.
She'd just spotted a beautiful lady in her owner's world and was about to get cozy when Dylan called her out.
"Tomorrow's Christmas, and this is your gift," Dylan said, sitting on his bed and tapping Luna's head lightly. Moonlight streamed through the window, bathing the room in a soft glow. Luna's snowy feathers seemed to shimmer, almost glowing.
Dylan pulled out a delicate chain adorned with tiny blue crystals. It was too small for a human but perfect for Luna. The crystals, no bigger than peas, sparkled like crushed stars, casting a galaxy-like halo as Dylan dangled it.
"Hoo hoo!" Luna hooted excitedly.
"Like it? Let me put it on you." Dylan gently rubbed her beak, then looped the chain around her fluffy neck. The moment it was on, Luna cooed, her tail feathers puffing up proudly. The blue crystals draped against her white feathers, like a starry river wrapped in moonlight, radiating a faint magical aura.
"Hoo hoo!" Luna squinted, feeling a comforting sensation ripple through her body, making her feel more alert.
"I made this just for you," Dylan said. "I enchanted it with spells. When you flap your wings, the blue crystals will draw on wind elements to make flying easier. If you get tired, you don't need to rush to find a perch—these crystals will pull air currents to help you glide, like napping on a cloud. But don't actually fall asleep, okay?"
He pointed to another crystal. "This one casts a healing charm if you get hurt. And these—" he gestured to the rest—"are protective charms. Engraving spells on such tiny crystals was tricky, so I made it a half-chain. If someone attacks you with magic, it'll form a shield automatically. But don't fight back—just get away safely, got it?"
"Hoo hoo! (Master's the best!)" Luna spun her head 180 degrees in excitement.
"Alright, stop that—it's creepy," Dylan said, halting her. Luna paused but hopped onto him, nuzzling his arm affectionately.
"Okay, okay." Dylan snapped his fingers, and suddenly, his bed was covered in gift boxes.
Poking Luna's head, he said, "These are the gifts I'm sending out. Tonight, you're on delivery duty."
"Hoo…" Luna froze, staring at the mountain of boxes, petrified.
"What's wrong?" Dylan asked, tilting his head.
Luna's big eyes welled up as she hooted, "Hoo hoo, hoo hoo hoo! (So many—deliver them all in one night?)"
"Yep, you got it!" Dylan grinned.
Luna: (∧)!
Her heart sank.
"Come on, get moving, or you'll be delivering until morning," Dylan teased, patting her head.
"Hoo hoo…" Wearing her new blue crystal necklace, Luna couldn't refuse her master. She shook herself glumly and got to work.
Dylan chuckled, flicked his fingers, and the window swung open.
Luna: o(╥﹏╥)o
Grabbing a gift, she flapped her wings and flew out. Good thing she ate well and was in great shape—otherwise, this haul would've worn her out.
As she took off, the blue crystal necklace glowed faintly, merging with her body. Instantly, she felt lighter and stronger.
Inside the pet space, Coal, playing with Ravenclaw, had no idea how hard Luna was working.
After seeing Luna off, Dylan thought, "Harry doesn't need a super special gift, but I should still give him something—maybe a standard gift box. For Luna, I've got a collar for her and one for her owl. Ron and Hermione can get something simple. The professors' gifts are already prepared, but I've got Ravenclaw's portrait now. I asked them to make portraits before the term ended, and they still haven't delivered. Are they planning to give them to me for Christmas?"
Dylan rolled his eyes. Was he basically gifting himself? If the professors only gave him their portraits, they wouldn't even need to think about extra gifts—like how he'd regifted the Weasley twins' Marauder's Map to Harry for Christmas.
"That's just lazy!" he muttered, shaking his head.
"Oh, wait, Ravenclaw showed up out of nowhere. I haven't prepared a gift for her."
Rubbing his chin, he pondered. "Guess I'll fill up the portable magical library and give it to her. No need to overthink, and I can get it done tonight."
One night should be enough.
But it was late, and buying books now wasn't practical. Gifting his own collection felt a bit… underwhelming. Dylan duplicated every book he read into his magical library, so it wasn't small, but compared to a real library, it was nothing.
"I wonder what's in Ravenclaw's treasure," he mused. "If I could get my hands on it, I'd have plenty to study. And since it's hers, there's probably a ton of books, right?"
Gifting Ravenclaw her own treasure alongside the magical library? She'd probably love it. Plus, since she was stuck in his world, anything he gave her was still technically his—and she'd manage it for him.
"Alright, let's check out that treasure tonight."
Dylan pulled out the treasure map, then paused. His form shifted into a shadowy figure, passing through the wall and soaring into the night, blending into the clouds.
Soon, he arrived above the sea marked on the map, hovering fifty meters above the waves. The salty breeze tugged at his black cloak.
He wasn't Dylan now—he was Karthas.
Suddenly, the faded treasure map in his hand glowed faintly, an inky arrow appearing and pointing to a churning undertow below.
Dylan descended slowly. As he got closer, the map grew warm, and translucent symbols began rising from the sea's surface, shimmering between the water and the night like ancient secrets written in starlight.
He hadn't mentioned the treasure to Ravenclaw. For one, he wasn't sure if she even remembered it. For another, he had the map and could find it himself. No need to ask her yet. He'd check out the treasure first, then decide what to do.
A bronze chain, covered in seaweed, emerged from the center of the undertow, as if rising from the starry runes.
Dylan raised an eyebrow. He'd scanned this area with magic before and hadn't seen any chains or signs of the treasure. Ravenclaw must have hidden it with some clever spell, only accessible with the map.
He was impressed. If the0 treasure was just buried under the sea, it wouldn't have lasted this long. England was small enough that wizards flying around could've found and looted it ages ago. Good thing it was still here for him to claim.
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