151-152

Chapter 151: What’s for Dinner at the Volray Household Today?

Luke recognized her—the figure under the cloak was most likely Tifa.

Judging by the direction she came from, she must have emerged from the underground restroom area.

Luke quickly cast a Disillusionment Charm and followed, determined to find out what Tifa was up to.

But when he reached the corner, Tifa seemed to merge into the shadows and disappeared without a trace.

Unwilling to give up, he searched around for a long time but found no clues at all.

Left with no choice, he returned to the office to discuss the situation with Catherine.

“You’re saying… you saw Assistant Tifa emerge from the underground restroom with your own eyes?” Catherine’s gaze was grave.

“Yes.” Luke tapped the desk. “What would she be doing there so late at night? If she just needed the restroom, there was no need to go all the way to the basement. There’s a private bathroom in the Defense Against the Dark Arts office. And just earlier, Justin was attacked—it’s hard not to suspect something…”

“You mean…?” Catherine’s interest was piqued.

“Very likely.” Luke paused and continued, “It seemed like she noticed someone was following her and used some sort of trick to escape my line of sight.”

“Some sort of trick?” Catherine repeated, emphasizing the phrase.

“I don’t know what exactly. Isn’t that the definition of ‘some sort’?” Luke shrugged.

What you said makes so much sense that I have no retort.

“Still… in my opinion, she’s definitely suspicious.” Catherine shifted into a more comfortable position on the sofa, crossing her long legs.

Luke turned his gaze toward her, curious. “Why do you think so?”

“Do you remember when the Daily Prophet published that article criticizing Lockhart?”

Seeing Luke nod, Catherine continued, “At the time, you thought it might have been Lockhart himself, but we overlooked one point: as his sister, Tifa also had a motive to do something like that…”

“Impossible. Didn’t they say Tifa hated Lockhart?” Luke frowned.

Catherine chuckled, covering her mouth. “Women’s words aren’t gospel, Luke. Believe them at face value, and you’re a fool…”

Luke clenched his fist, hitting his palm as if he’d just realized something. “So when you said ‘no’ back then, did you actually mean ‘yes’?”

“What do you mean, ‘no’ or ‘yes’?” Catherine frowned but quickly caught on. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she looked away and muttered, “Actually, if you had insisted a little more back then, I might have agreed…”

“Well then…” Luke started to press his luck, only for Catherine to shoot him a glare that silenced him.

He shrugged, somewhat helpless. “Alright, if she really is behind it, what should we do? We don’t have solid evidence to prove she summoned the basilisk.”

“I have an idea.” Catherine uncrossed her legs and sat up straight.

“Let’s hear it.” Luke was intrigued. Catherine rarely gave suggestions about such matters.

Imitating Luke’s mannerisms, Catherine clenched a fist and tapped her palm, speaking excitedly: “Why don’t we detain both Tifa and Lockhart first, then slowly gather the evidence? … Hey! What was that for?”

Luke had chopped the top of Catherine’s head with a swift hand motion, interrupting her fantastical suggestion.

“You’re really committed to the muscle-brain trope, aren’t you, my dear Moonlight?” Luke sighed, exasperated. Was her head filled with nothing but brawn?

“Think it through. Detaining them might be easy, but what about the aftermath? What if they spread word about it?”

Catherine gave him a look as if he were an idiot. “Did you forget there’s a spell called Obliviate?”

“?” A question mark seemed to hover over Luke’s head.

As he thought about it more carefully, though, he had to admit it sounded absurdly plausible.

It actually made some sense…

“If Obliviate isn’t secure enough, Mistress, Remonia can devour them,” a voice chimed in. It was Remonia, her tone eerily similar to a classic villain from a TV drama, complete with an unsettling laugh that made her sound far from trustworthy.

“Alright, alright, that’s enough. Let’s stop here. We’ll ask Sister Solanian for advice when we get home.” Luke hurriedly stopped them from continuing their brainstorming session. Any further discussion, and they might come up with something truly insane.

Judging by Catherine’s expression, she was serious.

And from the way Remonia sounded, she was dead serious…

Ah, so young, yet I bear such burdens.

What a tiring life.

Still, before heading home, Luke decided to visit the headmaster’s office.

He had a nagging suspicion that Dumbledore knew the identity of the culprit. The old man was probably using this as some kind of training exercise.

This thought struck him like lightning as he stood in front of the office. If Dumbledore could protect people from the basilisk’s gaze, he surely had to know who the real perpetrator was.

Luke confronted Dumbledore directly, but the headmaster coughed and changed the subject.

“It’s quite foggy outside today, Luke. Us old folks tend to cough when the weather changes—hope you don’t mind…”

Luke thought to himself, If you keep coughing, your trachea’s going to come out.  

“Oh, it’s nothing, Professor,” Luke replied politely. “I understand. After all, it’s been clear and sunny for the past three or four days…”

Dumbledore gave him a mournful look, clearly implying, If you don’t call me out, we can still be friends.  

Luke shrugged and asked, “So, Professor, when will the Ministry start pressuring you to step down?”

“Not just yet. At least I’ll have a quiet Christmas before Fudge and his allies on the board begin pushing for my resignation,” Dumbledore said, as if it were someone else’s problem. He raised his cup of tea and gestured as if toasting Luke.

“Well, we’ll discuss that when you’re out of office. For now, I’m off to spend Christmas with Catherine.”

Before leaving the headmaster’s office, Luke snagged a handful of candies from the desk.

The black-and-yellow-striped wrappers looked intriguing, though he had no idea how they tasted.

As he walked down the corridor, he unwrapped a red candy and popped it into his mouth.

Only to spit it out a moment later, wincing and gagging with a bitter expression.

*Damn it, I’ve been tricked! This isn’t candy at all—it’s Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans!*

And such a spicy one too—must be ghost pepper flavored.

No wonder Dumbledore had that mysterious, knowing smile when he saw me grab the candy earlier. He was waiting for this moment all along.

After a long while of fighting the spiciness in his mouth, Luke finally managed to calm it down and returned to his office.

He had to admit that the Floo Network was truly a great invention. At least, that’s what Luke thought. Without it, he’d still have to rely on the Hogwarts Express to get home, wasting half his life on a train.

That train, called an express, was hardly fast. Its speed wasn’t much different from the slow, green trains labeled with a "K" that he used to ride in his past life.

Just as Luke stepped out of the fireplace, the festive atmosphere of the room shocked him. The entire living room was packed with Christmas decorations. Even the coat rack had been turned into reindeer antlers, complete with several Santa hats and tassels hanging on it. He even spotted a few small reindeer plushies sitting on the corner of the piano.

“I have to admit, little Moon,” Luke clicked his tongue, admiring the living room. “My grandpa used to say that women in this world are like birds. But I’d say, while there are woodpeckers and magpies, your mom might just be a wild grouse from the deep forest…”

And then he got stepped on by Katherine.

“Your mom’s the grouse!” she snapped angrily.

Luke laughed through his throat, a light chuckle that didn’t last long before someone pinched his cheeks from behind.

“Oh? What’s this? Did I just hear someone talking bad about me?” Solani’s voice came from behind him.

Luke’s little face was being kneaded like dough in her hands, changing shape constantly. He mumbled a muffled plea for mercy. “Lian-sis… I’m sorry…”

“I don’t think you fully realize what you did wrong,” Solani said, clearly experienced enough not to be fooled by Luke’s antics. Her expression wasn’t kind, and her hands didn’t stop either—though perhaps it was because Luke’s soft, smooth cheeks felt too good to let go of.

“I really know I was wrong! Good sister, please!” Luke tilted his head back, his twisted and contorted face looking up at Solani with a pitiful, sincere gaze.

Only then did Solani snort and release him, pulling him into a hug instead.

“Oh, I’ve really missed you all,” she said softly.

Luke wriggled in her arms, shouting in a muffled voice, “Let me go… Let me go… I’m going to suffocate!”

“Mom!” Katherine scolded, rushing over to pull Luke free, only to be swept into her mother’s arms as well.

It was like being caught by a facehugger—no one could escape her hugs.

After much effort, Katherine finally escaped, her face bright red. Luke awkwardly turned to Solani.

“So… How have you been, Lian-sis?”

“Not great. A certain ungrateful little brat seems to have completely forgotten I even exist,” Solani replied with an unhappy expression. Her sharp eyes squinted slightly as if deciding which part of Luke she should take a bite out of.

“Uh… I’ve just been busy with school, right, little Moon?” Luke quickly sought support from the sidelines.

Katherine, knowing loyalty mattered here, nodded repeatedly. “I can vouch for that. Little Deer has been super busy!”

“Busy? Hmph!” Solani’s voice grew cold. “Really? From what I’ve seen, you seem to be enjoying yourself plenty…” She then turned her gaze to Katherine, eyeing her from head to toe.

“Little Moon, you’ve moved fast, haven’t you? Little Mr. Deer has been completely devoured by you.”

Her teasing tone made Katherine blush furiously.

“Mom! How can you say that?!” Katherine protested, grabbing Luke’s arm and dragging him toward the fireplace. “Little Deer, let’s go. We’re not spending Christmas with this bad woman.”

“Yes, let’s leave.” Luke obediently followed her lead.

Solani quickly pulled out her wand to shut the fireplace off, soothing them with kind words. “Alright, alright. Look at you, little Moon. I was just joking.”

“Hmph! That wasn’t a joke!” Katherine glared at her.

“Alright, alright. It was my fault, okay? But do you really have the heart to let me spend Christmas alone and lonely at home?” Solani’s eyes reddened as she raised a hand to dab at the corner of her eye, looking heartbreakingly sad.

“Hmph.” Katherine huffed again, crossing her arms. Then, with a magnanimous air, she said, “Fine. This time I’ll forgive you.”

Luke immediately changed the subject to smooth things over. “Uh… So, what’s for dinner?”

Solani shot him a quick glance, lifting a bag in her hand. “Lemon-roasted spring chicken, garlic aioli sourdough toast, creamy garlic shrimp, bacon-wrapped asparagus, some roasted vegetables… Oh, and chicken thighs too. It’s so cold, so we’ll also have cream of mushroom soup.

“For the main course, it’ll be our family’s traditional roasted lamb chops with baby potatoes and caramelized carrots. And to accommodate little Mr. Deer, I also prepared roasted beef steaks. Oh, one question—what flavor do you want for the soufflé topping? Blueberry or chocolate?”

“Chocolate!” the two answered in unison.

“Calm down, my dears,” Solani said with a playful wink, humming as she disappeared into the kitchen.

A short while later, she poked her head out.

“If you’re hungry, there’s caramel pudding. But only one serving each!”

Luke perked up immediately. Despite not being a fan of sweets in his past life, ever since coming to Britain, he’d grown increasingly fond of desserts. Turning to Katherine, he asked excitedly, “I’ll take one. How about you?”

“I’ll get it for you. Wait here,” Katherine replied, taking off her coat and hanging it on the antler-shaped rack. “I’ll take a bath after, and then help Mom with dinner.”

“Alright. Once you’re done, I’ll need to wash up too,” Luke said. As soon as he mentioned it, he began feeling uncomfortable, imagining soot from the fireplace still clinging to him.

There was no denying it—Solani’s cooking was top-notch. Luke absentmindedly scraped his spoon against the empty pudding dish, not realizing he’d finished it so quickly.

Heading into the kitchen, he peeked in and asked, “Lian-sis, do we have more pudding? I didn’t get enough.”

“No more! You’ll ruin your appetite for dinner,” Solani said firmly, holding a spoon in one hand and putting her other hand on her hip. “If you’re full now, there won’t be room for all the good food later.”

“Aw…” Luke looked disappointed. The pudding had only made him hungrier.

“How about this? I’ll make you a Margarita,” Solani offered. “Drink it, then take a nap on the couch. How’s that?”

“I’m underage, Lian-sis…” Luke’s face darkened.

“Oh, right. My bad,” Solani said, suddenly remembering his age.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter 152: Replenishing Magic (Literally)

Luke was at a loss for words when it came to Solanian's carelessness.

Soon, Catherine called him to take a bath. By the time he was done, the dining table was already covered with a sumptuous Christmas feast.

Seizing the moment when Solanian wasn’t paying attention, Luke mouthed the word "grouse" silently to Catherine.

And promptly got his foot stomped.

For a family like the Volarys, Christmas was more of a formality. After all, you couldn’t expect wizards to believe in God—centuries ago, wizards and the church had been like fire and water.

So, there wasn’t much praying to be done before the meal.

It was the same for Luke's family. From Old Luke to Diana, no one was a true believer.

If they believed in anything, it was only for appearances to fool Muggles.

Luke had overheard his grandfather complain multiple times during Christmas: “Why can’t we rename Christmas to British New Year? Or, if that’s too much, how about Selyse Snow Feast?” Each time, Luke would vehemently veto the idea, visibly unhappy.

He didn’t really mind calling it British New Year; he just couldn’t get behind Selyse Snow Feast.

The reason? Well... he thought it sounded nonsensical.

Of course, the old man’s ranting was nothing but idle grumbling—he didn’t truly want to rename Christmas in England.

With the family gathered around the table, there was no need for extra formalities. Everyone just dove in.

Luke finally understood Ron's joy: a fork in one hand holding a roasted tomato, a knife in the other spearing a massive drumstick. Sitting like a king, he ate with gusto, leaving Solanian and Catherine staring at him in astonishment.

“What are you staring at?” Luke asked through a mouthful of food.

Neither of them replied; they simply kept watching him until he uncomfortably put his food down.

“Fine. Last time we went to the Weasleys', you said I was too restrained at your house...” Luke said as he wiped his mouth, seamlessly switching to a more refined demeanor.

“I like you no matter what,” Catherine said warmly, reaching out to remove a bit of tomato skin from the corner of his mouth. “Eat slower. No one here is going to steal your food.”

Luke said nothing, merely pointing to the other side of the table.

Both Catherine and Solanian turned their heads to see Chrysthasa shoving an entire roasted leg of lamb into her mouth. How she managed it, no one knew—but it went in. By the time she pulled it out, the meat was gone, leaving only two bare bones.

When she noticed the three pairs of eyes on her, Chrysthasa, her cheeks puffed like a hamster’s, gave them an embarrassed smile and started chewing noisily.

And it wasn’t just her. Next to her, Jerry picked up an orange and somehow managed to shove the whole thing into his mouth, inflating his body into a perfect orange shape. Tom, horrified, watched with his paw stuffed in his mouth.

Tom grabbed Jerry’s tail and shook him, but the orange wouldn’t come out. Finally, Chrysthasa intervened, flicking the orange with her finger. It shot out like a cannonball, shattered a window, and streaked into the sky, disappearing as a sparkling star.

“Forget them,” Luke shrugged, reminding Chrysthasa to eat more modestly before returning to his own food.

If Chrysthasa ate to her heart’s content, it would take the entire Hogwarts house-elves’ kitchen to satisfy her.

Luke knew this all too well because once, Chrysthasa had slept for half a month and woke up outside regular mealtime. Luke had taken her to the kitchen, and the result was that poor Aslo had been utterly exhausted just trying to get her eight-tenths full.

Since then, Chrysthasa had become a legend in the Hogwarts kitchen.

Solanian stood up, walked into the kitchen, and returned with a tray of desserts. “How about some soufflé? It’s freshly made.”

“No, thanks. Always leave room after a meal,” Luke said, resisting temptation. Meanwhile, Tom and Jerry lay sprawled out, faces full of regret.

They’d eaten far too much.

Chrysthasa, however, was delighted. She cleared all the leftovers, leaving not even a breadcrumb behind. Solanian, clearly impressed, nodded approvingly.

A human-shaped food disposal unit was truly a marvel.

“Let’s go sing Christmas carols,” Catherine suggested, giving Luke a gentle push as he daydreamed.

Luke shook his head. “Not right now. I’m too full.”

Tom and Jerry nodded in unison.

“Come on, what’s Christmas without carols?”

Catherine’s voice was sweet, but Luke was unmoved.

“British New Year?” he mimicked his grandfather’s tone, earning a light slap from Solanian.

“Get up!” Solanian pulled him to his feet. “Celebrations mean effort. No slacking!”

She handed everyone a Santa hat—even Tom and Jerry got perfectly sized ones, a testament to her attention to detail.

The festivities lasted late into the night before everyone retired to their rooms.

This time, Solanian didn’t play any pranks on the two kids, so Luke slept soundly.

The next morning, the tranquility felt almost unnatural—so unlike Solanian’s usual style.

With his grandfather traveling abroad, Luke had no plans to return home for the holidays. Instead, he decided to head back to school early to deal with the basilisk.

Catherine had risen early. Solanian left a note saying she’d taken Chrysthasa and the others back to school and urged Luke to return soon after he got up.

“Have breakfast before you go,” Solanian, dressed casually in an oversized white shirt with her hair loosely tied up, suggested.

“Sure! What’s for breakfast?” Luke asked, already feeling hungry after a night’s sleep.

“Toast, eggs, and bacon,” she replied, bringing over a simple but homely breakfast.

The house had recently gotten a new television. Solanian had said it was good to have some entertainment, better than being cooped up studying magic all the time, and a way to learn about the Muggle world.

As Luke ate, Solanian lounged on the sofa, one leg crossed over the other, her slipper dangling from her toes, swinging idly.

Out of the corner of his eye, Luke noticed her movements and, without realizing it, found himself staring.

Two slender, rosy legs crossed elegantly, with smooth, rounded thighs and straight, slim calves forming a captivating scene. Luke noticed this right away—Solania appeared to be wearing sheer nude stockings, which shimmered faintly with a sacred glow.

Solania, in turn, noticed the young boy’s gaze. However, instead of being upset or embarrassed, she smiled softly and leaned slightly closer to him, adjusting her posture to give him an even better view.

Luke quickly averted his eyes. Oh, no! I can't keep looking…

If I keep staring, I'll be in deep trouble.

“Why did you stop looking?” Solania’s honey-sweet voice whispered in his ear. At some point, she had gotten up and moved to his side.

“Huh?” Luke tried to play dumb.

“You were so focused just now. Why pretend to be all innocent now?” Solania pulled a chair over and sat next to him.

Luke froze, barely daring to breathe. Who could tell if Solania was planning to scold him? He stared awkwardly at his hands on the table. The room fell silent, save for the faint “shh-shh” sound of Solania’s stocking-clad legs lightly rubbing together.

The sound wasn’t quite like that, though—it was more delicate, soft, and smooth.

“You’re being a bit naughty, little Luke,” Solania teased, her breath warm against his ear. She picked up one of Luke’s hands from the table and placed it gently on her thigh.

Luke froze for a moment before yanking his hand back as if he’d been shocked.

No way—this is my dear sister Solania!

“Ahem, ahem…” Luke stood up abruptly, but under Solania’s amused gaze, he bent over awkwardly. “Um, Sister Solania, I think I should go now…”

“What’s the rush?” Solania said with a meaningful smile. “I’m not a viper; I’m not going to eat you.”

Luke thought, But I’m in Slytherin—I’m a snake! Aren’t you Hufflepuffs supposed to eat snakes for breakfast?  

Of course, he couldn’t say that out loud. He could only manage a couple of awkward chuckles as he prepared to flee.

But just as he was about to turn, Solania suddenly grabbed his arm. Losing his balance, he fell backward—straight into her arms.

“W-What are you doing?!” Luke stammered, his voice cracking with panic.

Solania gently lifted him back to his feet, whispering softly in his ear, “Oh, nothing. Just testing your reaction.”

She pushed him lightly back into his chair, leaving Luke feeling completely numb.

What is she trying to do?

“I just have a little something to tell you,” Solania said, laughing at his dazed expression. “Your aunt has arrived in England, and she’s eager to see you…”

“Oh, my aunt? I thought it was something serious.” Luke sighed in relief, but a second later, his voice shot up. “Wait, my aunt? I have an aunt?! Since when?!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a melodious voice rang out from behind him.

“Brat, who are you calling an afterthought?”

Luke turned to see a stunningly beautiful young woman who looked just over twenty years old. She wore a snow-white dress that couldn’t hide her graceful figure. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down to her waist, adorned with a silver butterfly clip. Under the morning sunlight, she looked radiant, almost otherworldly.

“So, this is the little rascal nephew of ours?” the woman said, reaching out her delicate hands to pinch Luke’s cheeks from both sides, pulling and tugging as if he were a lump of clay.

“Yep, that’s him,” Solania said, rolling her eyes. “And you’re one to talk. All these years, you never even thought to visit your nephew in England.”

“This is your aunt, Zelena,” Solania introduced, as Luke stared at the woman in shock.

“Zelena?” Luke echoed, his brain spinning. Suddenly, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

In British custom, people referred to those of descent with their family names last. So… could her name actually be (Swallow)?

Swallow! How could I live without you?

Thinking of the famous pun, Luke burst into laughter.

“Is my name really that funny to you?” Zelena’s tone darkened, her face flushed with faint embarrassment.

Luke noticed her reaction and realized he’d guessed correctly. She began coughing lightly, confirming his suspicion.

Luke hurried over to pat Zelena’s back until she stopped coughing, then apologized: “I’m sorry, Auntie… but, uh, I thought your name was Swallow… Haha…”

At that, he couldn’t hold back another laugh, though he quickly tried to suppress it, veins popping on his forehead.

“Go on, laugh. I knew you’d think that,” Zelena said, smiling indulgently. Once Luke calmed down, she explained, “Actually, Solania’s Mandarin is very fluent. She doesn’t misplace family names and given names like most British people do.”

“So…” Luke blinked, catching on.

“My last name is Leaf,” Zelena said, shattering Luke’s assumptions.

“So, my mom’s name is ?” Luke ventured.

“No, your mother’s last name is , and her given name is ,” Zelena said, gently stroking Luke’s head. “The three of us are—well—sworn sisters, not related by blood. Solania is the eldest, your mother is second, and I’m the youngest.”

“Oh…” Luke said, finally understanding. He glanced back and forth between Solania and Zelena, then blurted out a death wish: “But Auntie, how come you look so much younger than Sister Solania?”

Solania’s smile instantly turned sinister, her voice colder than winter wind. “Oh? Do I really seem that old to you?” She grabbed Luke’s ear, her grip firm. If he said the wrong thing now, he could kiss that ear goodbye.

“Alright, Solania, don’t scare him,” Zelena interjected, prying Luke free and shielding him protectively.

A faint fragrance of gardenias wafted from Zelena, tickling Luke’s nose. She also seemed momentarily dazed, sensing a mysterious power from Luke—a force gently mending her nearly depleted spirit.

“Are you done cuddling him?” Solania teased. “Back then, you clung to Emma all the time. Now you’re sticking to her son? Are you trying to steal him from my Catherine?”

Zelena blushed, finally releasing Luke. In a soft voice, she said, “Solania, he has a strange power… It’s restoring my damaged spiritual core.”

“Really?” Solania’s expression grew serious—it was no trivial matter.

Zelena nodded and raised a hand, her fingertip glowing faintly. A single point of starlight emerged, startling Solania.

“You… you can cast spells again?!” Solania gasped, ecstatic.

The glow faded as quickly as it had appeared.

“Temporarily,” Zelena said, closing her eyes. Her long lashes trembled before she sighed. “It’s like recharging a battery—I can only sustain it for a short while.”

Luke now understood. Great, so I’m a power source now? Just here to recharge Auntie Zelena’s magic?

---

(Chapter ends.)