The light of dusk had a dreamlike beauty to it, filtering through gaps in the clouds and settling with a lazy air. The dense cluster of tombstones cast long, narrow shadows under the fading sun, creating a unique atmosphere.
Not far from where he stood, by a poplar tree with flourishing branches, a man with messy, cotton-candy-like white hair stood holding a little girl's hand. They were, without a doubt, a father and daughter paying their respects.
What had caught Marcel's eye moments ago was the back of that girl, her pale-gold hair falling to her waist.
Of course, Marcel wasn't some kind of creep; he had no interest in a girl who looked no older than ten, even if he was about the same age himself. It was just that her long hair seemed to glow with a soft halo in the sunset, a sight too unique to ignore.
Marcel couldn't help but stare for a few more moments, but that was all. He paused, then quickly looked away and started walking toward town with his suitcase in hand.
But just as he took his first few steps out of the cemetery, he faintly heard the man's voice.
"Luna, we should head back too. It's getting late."
Luna? Pale-gold hair? Deep in Marcel's mind, a few words, faded by the passage of time, flashed like lightning.
"It can't be that much of a coincidence, can it?"
Marcel stopped again. After a moment's hesitation, he ducked into a thicket of trees by the path. He wanted to circle back and confirm.
By the time Marcel emerged from the woods and re-entered the cemetery, Luna and her father had already left. He made his way to the spot where they had been standing and looked down at the headstone.
"Pandora Lovegood... Lovegood. That should be it." Marcel mulled it over, then broke into a run. "Asking an active wizard for directions is obviously much better than wandering around on my own. I might even be able to borrow their fireplace! What was that stuff called again? Floo... Floo Powder?"
"Excuse me... Mr. Lovegood, wait, wait a moment!"
The father and daughter were clearly not walking fast. Or rather, it was fortunate they hadn't used magic to leave, allowing Marcel to catch up.
"Hm? And who might you be?" Luna's father, Xenophilius, turned his head and asked, looking puzzled at the boy rushing toward them.
"Oh, yes." Marcel quickly reached them. He caught his breath and organized his thoughts before continuing, "I'm a fan of the magazine you edit. You see, I absolutely love the articles. They add so much color to my life."
In truth, Marcel couldn't even remember the name of the magazine, but that didn't stop him from using it as an excuse to strike up a conversation.
"Um... the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Yes, the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. I want you to know, I've always firmly believed they exist, even though I've never been able to find one." Marcel wracked his brain, dredging up every fragment from his buried memories and tossing them like bargaining chips to the pair standing before him.
"Oh, a fellow believer."
Luna's voice was a bit dreamy, but her silvery-grey eyes were fixed unblinkingly on Marcel's face. It was clear she had taken an interest in him.
"Haha, thank you for your support, my dear young reader." Xenophilius nodded happily, looking quite pleased.
Seeing his chance, Marcel immediately put his talent for seizing an opportunity to use. He plastered a huge smile on his face and began chatting excitedly with Xenophilius, as if he truly were a loyal reader.
Believe me, it wasn't hard. As long as he kept the conversation on the topic of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack and let Xenophilius do most of the talking, all he had to do was chime in with agreement now and then to keep the dialogue flowing.
The three figures, one large and two small, walked further and further down the road, their path filled with laughter. The approach was clearly a resounding success.
In the end, Marcel was, not surprisingly, invited to the Lovegood home with the intention of staying for a few days. This was only because he had "accidentally," and "carelessly," revealed that he would be starting at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on September 1st.
And if all went as expected, Luna would be starting in another year, making Marcel her senior.
"You'll have to look after your junior next year, Mr. Marcel," Xenophilius said with a wide grin, stroking Luna's hair. "Come on! It looks like dinner can be a bit more lavish than usual tonight. We have to give your senior a proper welcome!"
It had to be said, judging by this "very lavish" dinner, the Lovegood family's financial situation didn't seem to be very good. But that wasn't too important to Marcel; he wasn't one for luxury. For him, poverty and hunger were the norms of his childhood.
Besides, many of the ingredients on the small dining table were things Marcel had never seen before. Some looked a bit strange, but they had a unique flavor, and the portions were generous.
Marcel particularly enjoyed a soup made from an aquatic creature called a "Gaudy Gulpfish." It was truly a delicious dish. Of course, their meat wasn't great, probably because they were too active, which made the flesh tough and gave it a strange, earthy taste.
"Have you had enough, my boy?" Xenophilius asked when he saw Marcel put down his spoon. "Perhaps you'd like a cup of Gurdyroot infusion as well?"
"Oh, no thank you. I think I'm too full," Marcel said, patting his round belly sheepishly. "Would you mind if I went for a walk?"
"Of course not. You can have Luna show you around the area. It's very safe here, and the air is wonderful," Xenophilius said with a shrug. "I'm afraid I have to get ready for tomorrow's work, you know, writing articles and such."
"Luna, I was wondering if I could invite you for a walk?" Marcel turned his head toward the girl, who was staring blankly into space.
"Hm?" Luna turned her head at the sound of his voice. "What? Oh, of course. We can continue talking about other magical creatures..."
"Yes, yes. I think talking about unicorns would be a good choice. I hear they're quite famous among Muggles too," Marcel said with a smile, standing up to put on his coat before pulling open the door not far behind him.
Everything else here was nice, but the house was a bit too cramped, which reminded him of the little attic he had lived in for three years.
The evening air was just as familiar, but it was much fresher here than in Tamar Alley back in Torpoint. After all, the Lovegood house was built on a small hill.
The open view and the vast, starry sky made Marcel's gaze turn dreamy. Perhaps Luna's personality was not unrelated to this kind of living environment.
"It's beautiful here. There's a feeling of freedom."
Here, nothing blocked your path. Marcel walked forward, following his instincts, his eyes fixed on the endless night sky.
Luna, who had been talking to herself about Mistletoe and Nargles, uncharacteristically stopped talking when she heard his words. She looked at Marcel for a moment, then turned her own gaze to the star-filled heavens.
"Luna, look. You can smell the freedom here, can't you?" Luna said softly, the dreaminess in her voice seeming even more pronounced than usual.
"What?" Marcel froze for a second, then blinked as if remembering something. "Oh, yes. Did your mother say that?"
"Mummy liked it here too. She would often bring me out to look at the stars when she was resting." Luna nodded. You couldn't read anything from her expression, but it was obvious that some things were not so easily let go.
Marcel nodded. He vaguely remembered that Luna's mother had passed away, perhaps not too long ago. Of course, he also thought of his own mother, from this life, and the one before.
"They say the positions and trajectories of the stars can be used as a basis for prophecy. The centaurs seem to be very good at that."
Based on his own experiences, Marcel believed that in moments like these, deftly avoiding the topic was a better choice than offering platitudes like "I'm sorry for your loss." But Luna was clearly no ordinary girl.
"But Mummy's dead now. It happened last year, because a spell went badly wrong," Luna said, not taking the conversational bait Marcel had offered, instead continuing with her own thoughts.
"It was truly horrible. I've been very sad about it ever since. But I can't let Daddy worry. I think he's probably even sadder than I am, so I can't cry."
Listening to the girl's ever-quieting whispers, Marcel touched the envelope he kept in his coat pocket. An idea flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"My mum passed away too. I think I understand a little of what you're feeling," Marcel said after a moment's thought. "But I was thinking, maybe this doesn't mean we can never see our mothers again. The principles of magic are still so vague. If we could study them more thoroughly..."
Luna's face finally showed some ordinary human emotion, but it probably wasn't surprise at his idea.
"It becomes very dangerous when it goes wrong," Luna said, her voice still soft, but the dreaminess was completely gone.
"Er, I suppose you're right," Marcel said, rubbing his forehead awkwardly.
Luna stared at Marcel for a moment longer, then a small smile appeared. She pursed her lips and added softly, "But it is a path worth considering."
The night breeze was refreshing, but still a bit cool. Marcel shivered and pulled his coat tighter around himself. He waved to Luna, beckoning her back to the house, then turned and started walking toward the building shaped like a chess rook. Luna stood behind, watching his back, and then pressed her lips together.
"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," Luna's words were almost inaudible, as if she were speaking only to herself.