After the meal was prepared, Hodge and the house-elves gathered in a circle, perched on small, kitchen-style stools, each clutching a large bowl filled with delicious dishes. The two fish Hodge had brought as a guest were, of course, not enough to go around, but that wasn't a problem. The house-elves went all out, their culinary efforts rivaling a festive banquet.
Stuffed from the feast, Hodge bid farewell to the house-elves and plunged into the Forbidden Forest, only emerging as dusk approached.
He couldn't help but reflect on his first year at Hogwarts, when Professor McGonagall had laid down two strict rules: no students were to enter the Forbidden Forest without permission, and no one was to set up their own Floo Network. Yet, here he was, a year later, having broken both rules. As he stepped out of the forest, he shook his head with a wry smile.
Still, Hodge quickly found an excuse for himself—it was all Quirrell's fault. That creepy face stuck to the back of his head had left Hodge with serious psychological trauma and a gnawing sense of unease. As for why that unease drove him to the Forbidden Forest, well, he hadn't quite figured that part out yet. He'd need to mull it over a bit more…
"Hey, Hodge," a voice called out.
Hodge jumped, glancing left and right but seeing no one. Then he looked up and spotted Luna Lovegood standing atop a massive rock, gazing off into the forest as she spoke.
"Luna! What are you doing here?" Hodge asked. "Is there something in the woods?"
"Someone's fighting a ghost," Luna replied airily.
"Uh…" Hodge was momentarily speechless. He had been fighting a ghost—or rather, a projection of his future self—to test its abilities. To pinpoint any differences in spellcasting between himself and the projection, the skirmish had been intense, with Hodge unleashing every spell he could think of and manage.
There was good news and bad news.
The good news: in some spells, the projection of future Hodge outperformed the real Hodge. This was likely because the projection wasn't a living, breathing person but a magical reflection of Hodge's current state of mind. Like a piece of code, it operated almost flawlessly, free of human error.
The bad news: the projection was still just a blend of memory and magic. It had limitations. First, its combat thinking was somewhat rigid. Second, it was constrained by magic reserves, unable to cast endlessly—after a few Blasting Curses, it faded into a misty wisp, its face barely discernible. Finally, it couldn't use memory-based spells, likely because it was itself a memory-like construct. Forcing such magic would cause it to collapse and vanish prematurely.
After a few seconds of silence, Hodge, curious about how much Luna had seen, asked, "Was it… exciting?"
"Absolutely thrilling," Luna said, her pale silver eyes shifting from the forest to Hodge. "But why did you set up a ring of bonfires? Is it some kind of ritual? Ginny told me you started a club last year that used scented candles, but it seems to have stopped. I was hoping to join in."
"It's… well, not exactly," Hodge said. "The club's on hold—too much going on this year. And the bonfires weren't for a ritual."
"So, can ghosts draw energy from flames?" Luna hopped down from the rock, her curiosity piqued. "I've only heard of chameleon ghosts."
"It's just a spell," Hodge said, pausing to choose his words carefully. "It… didn't work out."
"A failure," Luna supplied helpfully.
Hodge wrestled with himself inwardly before sighing. "Yeah, you're right… But you've reminded me—I need to order another box of Floo Powder."
He was planning to adapt the principles of the Floo Network for combat. In the Floo Network, a wizard could toss Floo Powder into a fire, step into the flames, clearly state their destination, and travel long distances with ease. The fireplace wasn't strictly necessary; the Ministry used them for convenience, as every household had one and fire was required. Hodge's idea was to conjure flames in battle—not just to attack enemies but to keep the flames burning, allowing him to teleport between them, appearing and disappearing like a shadow.
It turned out to be harder than he'd thought.
Traveling through flames wasn't smooth; it was a disorienting, tumbling ride. Even with his decent reflexes, Hodge couldn't reliably gauge his bearings mid-transit. Casting spells upside down wasn't exactly practical. But the projection of his future self had revived the idea. Unlike Hodge, the projection didn't get dizzy and could navigate perfectly.
He couldn't tell Luna any of this, though.
Instead, he changed the subject. "Want to play a game of chess?" he asked, pulling her along.
Luna agreed enthusiastically. With a wave of his wand, Hodge flattened a pumpkin-sized rock into a smooth, gray stone slab etched with a grid of intersecting lines. "Here's the board," he said. Then he gathered some pebbles and transfigured them into round, glossy black-and-white chess pieces.
"It looks a bit small," Luna observed, studying the board with interest. "I've seen bigger ones."
"It's a nine-by-nine board, good for beginners," Hodge replied. "I've played with my roommates, and trust me, it's simple to start with."
Luna shook her head gently.
"I want the full version," she said. "It's more fun that way, don't you think?"
Hodge considered it. "Fair enough." He explained the rules, and they began placing pieces on the board. Hodge was confident he couldn't lose, so he played with ease. Luna, though clearly engaged, didn't seem driven by a need to win. She simply enjoyed the game. As they played, they chatted.
"How's the boar statue at the school gate doing?" Hodge asked.
"It looks smaller," Luna said, twirling a piece as she thought. "Should I put it here?"
"That works," Hodge said, placing his own piece. "Or maybe you've just gotten taller. The school food's pretty good."
At the mention of school life, Luna's face lit up.
"It's even better than I imagined," she said. "Especially the fish. I've wanted to come to Hogwarts for ages, but Dad always said my hair wasn't long enough yet—"
Hodge glanced at her waist-length hair, which looked like a fluffy patch of ginger.
"And then?" he prompted.
"So I started growing it out," Luna said thoughtfully. "I used to cut it twice a year, which probably slowed things down. But I made it to Hogwarts, and everything's wonderful—teachers, friends, fire salamanders… though there aren't many Wrackspurts around. I've made friends, too, especially Ginny. She's helped me loads."
Hodge wasn't surprised; he knew they shared a dorm.
"She's great," Luna continued. "So patient… it's like we've known each other forever."
"Maybe you have," Hodge said with a grin.
"We hang out a lot," Luna said. "But not today— we both had things to do. I'm looking for someone, and she's off with her brother." Her eyes widened suddenly, as if struck by a revelation. "Did you know she has a Gryffindor brother?"
"Not surprising," Hodge said, focusing on the board. "She's got six Gryffindor brothers and a pair of Gryffindor parents."
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