The next day, Rigel watched in astonishment as a snake of light, as large as Diabolus, floated through his room.
Rigel did not teach Expecto Diabolus to Calypso, but he did teach Expecto Patronum.
He wanted to see if the woman could learn.
She learned very easily, Rigel pursed his lips, but his eyes looked a little strange, because Calypso's Patronus was a basilisk.
This stunned him deeply, because it confirmed that Calypso had never seen a basilisk like this, nor were there any here, but there it was, the woman had created a basilisk.
Had she based it on his Patronus? Could she control its form? But when questioned, Calypso only said that although she could change the Patronus's form with her power, its current form was completely subconscious.
Rigel looked at the woman's Basilisk, completely identical to the Diabolus, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.
In the end, he decided to ignore the implications of that, and instead asked another question.
"Which memory did you use?" Rigel asked curiously. He thought it must be the moment she was freed from the seal, or perhaps something even older, a memory from a time when gods walked the earth.
"The song you sang, the first one, 'In the Name of Love.'" She replied with a gentle smile on her face, her eyes lost focus as she recalled the event.
Rigel froze, staring at her in bewilderment, his brow furrowing slightly, not in irritation, but in confusion.
Calypso didn't approach, remaining there not far from him, smiling softly. The woman hadn't changed much over the months, the same worn clothes, the same braided hair, the same charcoal on her lips and teeth, but Rigel found himself stunned for a moment looking at her.
She didn't dress or act like a goddess.
Perhaps that was why Rigel often forgot about it, instead, at some point, Rigel began to treat her as a companion.
Not the romantic type, but someone I could finally talk to.
Not the authoritarian Walburga, nor the subservient, but closed-minded Kreacher.
Without realizing it, Calypso became his first real friend in this life, of course, he still had Elizabeth, Will, Clemens, Anna, Anamaria...
But Calypso was different, he didn't feel like an actor around her, he didn't even realize when he stopped seeing her as a nuisance.
Rigel saw the faint smile growing on her face, looked away, his heart skipping a beat, but he quickly calmed himself, instead focusing on Calypso's Patronum.
Lost in thought, Rigel searched within himself for his happiest memory, something that could help him unleash his Patronus.
However, when he tried again... it was still just a shapeless mist.
Remembering Calypso's words, he felt a little embarrassed, but in the end, he asked. "Can... Can you sing for me?"
Calypso's smile stretched from ear to ear, she almost threw herself at Rigel, seeing his embarrassed face, looking anywhere but at her.
However, she controlled herself, she didn't want to undo the progress she had made so far.
Calypso didn't need to think much, she sang exactly the same song that Rigel had sung to her, "In the Name of Love".
Calypso's voice was much softer and higher-pitched than Rigel's, but its effect was no less than Rigel's own music, she smiled at him as she walked around him. Rigel could feel the wind rising from nowhere, making them float as Calypso transformed, becoming a breeze of wind. Her voice began to come from behind Rigel.
She didn't take shape, she merely enveloped him in her wind-like form, he seemed to feel her, but at the same time he didn't. The next moment, the windows opened as Rigel was hurled into the sky.
His eyes widened, but the music didn't stop, the wind continued to toss him upwards, in mid-air, seeing the endless sea, Calypso's voice seeming to come from everywhere.
Out of nowhere, she regained her human form, appearing before him. She held out her hand to him, Rigel hesitated for a moment, but finally took her hand.
The next moment, she began guiding him through the air, spinning him around, tumbling him, the next moment, they began to fall as Rigel's eyes widened, ready to grab his crown and avoid certain death, but Calypso squeezed his hand slightly, and Rigel stopped.
He looked into her eyes, seeing the plea for trust.
Rigel sighed lightly, letting her do as she pleased, he possessed the Aztec rune anyway.
The moment they touched the water, there wasn't a strong recoil, it was as if the water had supported them. Calypso was still singing, even the water couldn't stop her voice. Subconsciously, Rigel changed form, transforming into a merman.
Calypso smiled, assuming her mermaid form as well, she pulled him along as they swam, a faint smile forced onto Rigel's lips, he swam with her, she let go of his hand, yet they continued swimming around each other, when the last note sounded, they stood there, motionless in the middle of the sea.
He seemed to wake from a deep dream, for a moment he wanted to ask her to sing again, but he quickly remembered the reason for all of this.
Rigel took the wand from the sheath on his wrist.
Thinking about the feeling he just had, he waved his wand again. "Expecto..."
As he spoke, he felt Calypso approach from behind, her hand holding his. He didn't freeze, finishing the incantation. "...Patronum."
The next moment, the mist emerged from his wand again, in the middle of the sea. The mist began to take shape. Rigel expected it to be a basilisk like Diabolus, but what appeared was completely different.
A mermaid, the mermaid looked like a perfect copy of Calypso's mermaid form, Calypso's eyes widened in surprise as Rigel froze.
The next moment, she couldn't control herself, she hugged Rigel directly, letting out a little squeal full of happiness.
Rigel stood there, stunned, still staring at the mermaid Patronus while Calypso hugged him tightly.
For a moment, Rigel was truly speechless.