Lyla was always a woman of action, especially when it came to the highly advanced study of engraving self-sustaining magic onto physical objects.
"What are you going to do this time, Lyla?"
That's right, Luna Lovegood, her new 11-year-old penpal, was here too. Lyla hadn't forgotten her promise to invite her friend over the next time she made a Magic Array item.
Lyla coughed lightly and then said, "To make a... an item that can communicate over long distances."
"Long-distance communication?" Luna tilted her head, pondered for a few seconds, and said, "Similar to an owl?"
"Owls probably can't be made, right?"
"It's... it's more convenient than an owl..." Lyla pursed her lips and nervously glanced at Nova, the tiny gray postal owl Remus Lupin had given her, who was sitting quietly by the window sill. "And it's... it's also safer."
"Safer?" Luna nodded thoughtfully. "It won't be intercepted by the Ministry of Magic midway, right?"
'Of course not... I mean, it's nowhere near as scary as an owl looks... Ugh!'
Lyla saw Nova's head suddenly turn 180 degrees towards her. Easily terrified as always, she quickly lowered her head and took a few deep, shaky breaths.
"Are these the materials?" Luna didn't seem to notice her sudden panic. Her ethereal gaze turned to the bottles and jars on the table. "There seem to be a lot more than before."
"A new attempt, right?"
'Miss Lovegood is truly perceptive.'
Lyla nodded lightly. "This time I'm... I'm going to use the new arrays I learned." As she spoke, Lyla once again felt a surge of pure academic excitement, easily distracted by her research.
"These are two Ancient Runes I've newly learned to act as the core." Lyla held up the parchment in her hand and explained, "The semi-circular rune represents 'Connection', and the other is 'Transmission'... You only need to engrave these arrays onto two objects to achieve long-distance communication."
She paused as she spoke, making sure Luna was still interested before continuing. "The Connection rune can achieve long-distance linking, and the Transmission rune can spread the physical change of one object to another."
"Relying on this... it should be possible to achieve... simple text-based communication..."
"So if it's engraved on a pumpkin, even in Northern Europe, you'd know when the pumpkin is ripe?" Luna asked in her pleasant, dreamy voice.
"This... this won't work." Lyla immediately shook her head, and then she realized her denial might have been a bit too quick. She quickly pursed her lips and whispered, "My... my meaning is... the Magic Array cannot be engraved on living things."
"Plants are the same."
"I see." Luna nodded lightly and then blinked. "Then who does Lyla want to give it to?"
"Give to... who?" Lyla was stunned for a moment, not understanding Luna's meaning.
"Who are you giving the other communication array item to?" Luna asked, scooting closer to sit next to Lyla. "After all, this should be something for two people to hold separately, right?"
"Ah... Magic Array item..." Lyla was a little amazed at how quickly Miss Lovegood's thoughts shifted, but she really hadn't considered this simple question.
'Who should I give such an item to?'
'Mr. Lupin?'
'But Mr. Lupin said he would write to me with an owl... Even though I've never actually received a letter from him...' Lyla looked at Luna, who was sitting next to her with a serene smile.
'How about Miss Lovegood? Would this be bothering her... If Miss Lovegood got this, she might not be able to resist chatting with me at night... just like friends do...'
"Can I have it?" Luna's beautiful silvery eyes blinked. She reached out and playfully pinched the pointed ear of the lost-in-thought Half-Veela.
"Ugh!" Lyla shivered as if electrocuted, her severe social anxiety flaring up. She took a few quick steps back. "So-... sorry..."
"You just said..."
"I said, can you give it to me?" Luna repeated patiently. "That way we can chat and keep in touch anytime."
"Miss Lovegood wants to... keep in touch with me anytime?" Lyla subconsciously pursed her lips, her mind racing.
"Of course." Luna tilted her head and asked, "Don't you, Lyla?"
"Or are you going to give it to someone else?"
"No, no, no... I'm not... that's not what I mean." Lyla shook her head like a rattling drum.
"I thought this... would bother you..." Lyla said, slightly raising her head to nervously check Luna's expression.
Luna's expression didn't change at all. She just said expectantly, "Of course not."
"We're friends."
Ah... she had almost forgotten. Not only did she consider Miss Lovegood her friend, but Luna also considered her her third friend, second only to her father and the Crumple-Horned Snorkack.
'So this is what friends are?'
Lyla said with a slight blush, "Tha-... thank you..."
"Lyla is really an interesting person." Luna chuckled. "It's a gift you're giving me, after all."
'So this is a gift?'
She had unknowingly completed such a difficult social task... giving a handmade gift to a friend?
Lyla said with a bit of excitement, "That's right... that's... it's a gift..."
"You should thank me... no... that's not what I mean..."
'What am I even saying...' Lyla sometimes really wanted to slap her own clumsy mouth.
She would just do it after Miss Lovegood left... provided the girl wasn't angry because of her awkwardness.
Luna, of course, wouldn't get angry over such a thing. She just chuckled again and then said, "Lyla is sometimes even more interesting than Dad."
'I told you that's not a good comparison!'
...
"Then let's begin."
After her incredibly tense and exciting chat with Miss Lovegood, Lyla was ready to officially start crafting.
The production time for this Magic Array item wouldn't be short. After all, it was her very first time engraving these two specific arrays... and doing so on such a small physical object.
As a magic item that could be used to communicate at any time, Lyla certainly didn't want to choose something heavy and difficult to carry.
Therefore, she chose a pair of leather wristbands... one for the left hand and one for the right.
Looking at the black leather wristbands in front of her, Lyla took a deep breath.
This pair of wristbands had cost her quite a few Galleons. These were the Galleons from the meal money Remus Lupin had left her during the days he was away. Lyla, who didn't eat much, had saved a lot of it.
After browsing Diagon Alley in the morning, she had selected this pair of ordinary cowhide wristbands. They weren't eye-catching, nor did they have a special style, making them the absolute best choice for a socially anxious witch who hated showing off.
This wasn't entirely Lyla's original idea; this was a stealth principle she had seen in Lord Grindelwald's manuals back when she was a loyal acolyte.
It was simply too suitable for her. Lyla bit her lip, picked up her quill, and gently dipped it into the potent magical ink she had made from her own Veela blood.