The evening sunlight possessed a hazy beauty, filtering through gaps in the clouds and settling with a languid air. The intricate arrangement of tombstones cast long shadows in the fading light, creating a unique atmosphere.
Not far from where he was standing, beside a white poplar tree with abundant branches, stood a man with cotton candy-like, messy white hair, holding the hand of a little girl. Without a doubt, it was a father and daughter visiting a grave.
And what Maca had noticed earlier was the back of the girl, whose hair was a pale gold and reached her waist.
Of course, Maca wasn't a pedophile; he had no interest in a girl who looked to be no more than ten years old – even though he was around the same age himself. However, her long hair, shimmering with a faint glow in the sunset, was a sight that was impossible to ignore.
Maca couldn't help but glance at her a few more times, but that was all. He paused for a moment, then immediately turned his gaze away, heading towards the town with his suitcase.
Just as he was taking a few steps out of the graveyard, he vaguely heard the man's voice.
"Luna, let's go back. It's getting late."
Luna? Long, flowing, blonde hair? A few somewhat obscure words flashed through the depths of Maca's mind, words that had faded with the passage of time.
"No way, is it?"
Maca stopped again, hesitated for a moment, and then plunged into the bushes at the side of the path – he wanted to go back and make sure.
When Maca returned to the graveyard from the trees, the Lovegoods had already left. He specifically went to where they had been standing, and looked down at the tombstone.
"Pandora Lovegood... Lovegood, that's definitely it." Maca pondered for a moment, then started to run. "Asking a current wizard for directions is obviously better than just blundering around myself. Maybe I can even borrow their fireplace! What was that stuff called? Floo... Floo Powder?"
"Er… Mr. Lovegood, wait, wait a moment!"
The pair hadn't gone very far, or rather, fortunately, they hadn't used magic to leave yet, allowing Maca to catch up.
"Hmm, may I ask who you are?" Luna's father, Xenophilius, turned around, looked at Maca who was rushing towards them, and asked with a puzzled expression.
"Oh, yes." Maca quickly ran up to the father and daughter, catching his breath and gathering his thoughts. Then, he continued, "I'm a fan of your editor's magazine. You know, I really enjoy the articles in it; they add color to my life."
In fact, Maca couldn't even remember the name of the magazine, but that didn't stop him from using it as a conversation starter.
"Um… Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, yes, Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. I hope you know that I also firmly believe in their existence, although I have never found them." Maca tried to recall his dusty memories, capturing all the scattered fragments he could think of and using them as conversation fodder with the father and daughter standing before him.
"Oh, a kindred spirit."
Luna's tone was a bit dazed, but her silvery-gray eyes were fixed on Maca's face. It was clear that she was interested in him.
"Haha, thank you for your support, my dear little reader." Xenophilius nodded with a happy expression, seemingly pleased.
Seeing this, Maca immediately took advantage of the opportunity, plastering a smile on his face. He began to chat with Xenophilius excitedly, as if he were truly a loyal reader of the magazine.
Believe me, it wasn't difficult. Just follow the topic of the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, let Xenophilius do the talking, and then chime in from time to time. That was enough to keep the conversation going.
Three figures, one large and two small, moved further down the road, their laughter echoing along the way. This casual conversation had clearly been a success.
In the end, Maca was unsurprisingly invited to stay at the Lovegood residence for a while. This was only because he had "casually" and "accidentally" revealed that he would be attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on September 1st of this year.
And if things went as expected, Luna would be starting school in a year, which would naturally make Maca her senior.
"Next year, you'll have to look after your junior, Mr. Maca," Xenophilius said, ruffling Luna's hair with a grin. "Come on! It seems that tonight's dinner can be a bit more lavish than usual. We must welcome your senior!"
It had to be said, judging by this "lavish" dinner, the Lovegood family's financial situation didn't seem to be very good. But this wasn't too important to Maca; he wasn't a person who enjoyed luxury. For him, poverty and hunger had been the norm of his childhood.
Not to mention, there were quite a few ingredients on the small table in front of him that Maca had never seen before. Some were a bit oddly shaped, but they still had a unique flavor, and the portions were generous.
What Maca especially liked was the soup made from a creature called the "Gulping Globefish," which was indeed a very delicious dish. Of course, their meat wasn't very good; it was probably because they exercised too much, which made the meat too tough, and it also had a strange, earthy taste.
"Are you full, child?" Xenophilius asked when he saw Maca put down his spoon. "Perhaps you'd like a cup of Gordigan Tea?"
"Oh, no thank you, I think I've eaten too much," Maca said, patting his round belly apologetically. "Would you mind if I went for a walk?"
"Of course not. You could have Luna accompany you for a stroll nearby; it's safe here, and the air is wonderful," Xenophilius shrugged. "I, unfortunately, have to prepare for tomorrow's work, you know, writing and such."
"Luna, would you mind if I invited you to walk with me?" Maca turned his head, looking at the girl staring blankly.
"Hmm?" Luna turned her head at the sound. "What? Oh, of course. We can also continue talking about other magical creatures..."
"Yes, yes, I think talking about unicorns would be a good choice; they're quite famous even among Muggles," Maca said, smiling as he stood up and put on his coat, then opened the door not far behind him.
Everything was pretty good here, except that the house was a bit too crowded, which reminded him of the small attic he had lived in for three years.
The evening air was still so familiar, but the air here was much fresher than the Temo Alley in Topoint, after all, the Lovegood's house was built on a small hillside.
The open view and the starry sky made Maca's gaze become blurred, perhaps Luna's personality was also related to this living environment!
"It's beautiful here, there's a sense of freedom."
Here, nothing stood in his way. Maca walked forward at his own pace, letting his gaze drift to the endless night sky.
Luna, who had been chattering away about mistletoe and Nymph Hooks, unusually stopped mid-sentence. She stared at Maca for a moment, then turned her gaze to the stars.
"Maca, look, there's the smell of freedom here, can you smell it?" Luna said softly, her voice sounding even more lost than usual.
"What?" Maca was taken aback, then blinked as if remembering something. "Oh, yes, your mother said that?"
"Mom also loved it here. She often took me out to look at the stars when she was resting," Luna nodded. Nothing was apparent on her face, but it was clear that some things were not so easy to let go of.
Maca nodded. He vaguely remembered that Luna's mother had passed away, perhaps not so long ago. Of course, he also thought of his own mother, both in this life and the last.
"It is said that the position and trajectory of the stars can be used as a basis for prophecy; those Centaurs seem to be very good at it."
Taking himself as an example, Maca thought that in such situations, the best course of action was to gracefully avoid the topic, rather than offering platitudes like "I'm so sorry" or "I'm very sorry." However, Luna was clearly not an ordinary girl.
"But Mom passed away last year, because a spell went terribly wrong," Luna continued, not taking up the thread of Maca's words.
"It was really awful, and I've been heartbroken about it. But I can't let Dad worry, I think he might be even more sad than me, so I can't cry."
Maca listened to the girl's increasingly soft murmurs, and then touched the envelope he'd been carrying in his coat pocket. An idea flashed into his mind, causing him to raise an eyebrow involuntarily.
"My mother also passed away, and I think I understand a little of what you're saying. But I think, perhaps, that doesn't mean we can never see our mothers again." Maca thought for a moment, then continued, "The principles of magic have always been vague. If we could study them more thoroughly..."
Luna's face finally showed some ordinary human emotions, but it was probably not because she was excited by the idea.
"If something goes wrong, it will be very dangerous," Luna said, her voice still soft, but the absentmindedness was gone.
"Uh, I think you're right," Maca said, rubbing his forehead awkwardly.
Luna stared at Maca for a moment, then offered a small smile. She pursed her lips and added softly, "But it is indeed a path."
The night breeze was refreshing, but still a little chilly. Maca hunched his shoulders, pulling his coat tighter. He waved at Luna, signaling her to go back inside with him, and then turned and walked towards the house that looked like a chess piece. Luna stood behind him, watching Maca's back, and then pursed her lips.
"Wisdom is mankind's greatest treasure," Luna murmured, almost to herself.