"Slice! Peel!" Wyzett called out, casting another round of domestic magic.
Though Xenophilius usually stuck to stews, his kitchen was impressively well-equipped. There were chef's knives, bread knives, paring knives, plus specialized blades for meat, slicing, and fish—each shining in its place.
As Wyzett worked his magic, the fish knife floated up beside him, darting with precision to open the fish's belly and clean out the innards, then deftly removing the head, tail, fins, and skin.
That was as far as his skill could take him for now. Truly expert scaling and deboning would take more practice—mastery came only with time.
"Marinate!" he commanded, tapping the salt jar. Instantly, salt and fish chunks blended, rolling together in the bowl.
Next, he prepped the side ingredients, chopping them with a flick of his wand. Then he moved to the stove. "Flames ablaze!"
A hot pan with cool oil kept the flame steady. As the marinated fish hit the pan, it sizzled and popped, sending wisps of gray smoke curling upward.
"Disperse!" Wyzett murmured, flicking his wand. The smoke obediently swept out the window, leaving the kitchen clear.
Luna padded over, clapping her hands in delight. "That's amazing… Whenever Dad fries fish, it always falls apart, so he prefers to stew it."
Wyzett grinned. "If you use a hot pan and cold oil, and fry slowly, the fish won't break up—even without magic."
"Can I learn this first?"
"If you've got the hang of the Levitation Charm, you'll find domestic magic much easier to learn… How about we start with the Levitation Charm this afternoon?"
"Alright, Professor Wyzett!"
Once you mastered magic, cooking became a matter of focus and intent. Greasy pans and dirty dishes? No problem—magic handled it all, quick and clean.
Wyzett also cooked up a pot of noodles, topping them with tomato and scrambled eggs. Lunch was ready.
"Mundus Totalus!" He waved his wand, the kitchen cleaning itself as he and Luna carried the food to the table.
They sat across from each other, waiting in companionable silence.
Moments later, green flames burst from the fireplace.
Xenophilius stepped out, inhaling deeply. "Mmm… Wyzett, did you make this?"
"Still learning," Wyzett replied with a modest nod. "Just simple dishes for now."
He glanced at the golden, fragrant pan-fried fish and three bowls of steaming tomato and egg noodles. Xenophilius swallowed hard.
Simple or not, this boy… had only been at it for three days!
No wonder Snape agreed to give him private lessons.
He let out a long sigh, suddenly thinking of Pandora—her knack for learning had been just as remarkable.
…
After lunch, only a few traces of sauce remained on the plates.
Xenophilius let out a huge yawn, slumping in his chair like a quilt draped over a bush.
His eyes drooped, half-open, half-closed, utterly content. "Wyzett, make a bit less next time… hic… I'm stuffed… hic…"
"Alright!" Wyzett smiled.
He'd cooked a whole pot of noodles, serving himself and Luna modest portions. The rest—all of it—had ended up in Xenophilius's belly.
Despite the generous serving, Xenophilius polished off every last noodle—a sure sign that the pan-fried fish and tomato-egg noodles were a success.
"Hic!" Xenophilius slowly got up, fetching a piece of parchment and spreading it on the table. "The destination for our trip is settled!"
He grabbed a quill and sketched a rough map, easily recognizable as Britain and Sweden.
Luna had inherited her father's artistic flair.
Xenophilius scribbled down a few place names, then cleared his throat. "Ahem… I'd hoped to use a Portkey to Sweden, but the prices those agencies quoted were outrageous!"
"With Fudge in charge, the magical world's getting more corrupt by the day! It's a multi-person Portkey, but the agency says it's single-use only—sixty Galleons per person! Why not just rob Gringotts while they're at it?"
Among all the magical ways to travel, Portkeys were fast and required no special training—ideal for any witch or wizard.
"Enough griping—let's not spoil the mood." He added a little train and a ship to the map. "We've got two routes to choose from."
He circled the train. "First, we could go to King's Cross Station, board the train at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, and ride all the way to Stockholm."
"Or…" He circled the ship. "We could take a magical ship—one that dives underwater—all the way to Stockholm."
"Honestly, there's not much difference in time or price. You two decide!"
Wyzett and Luna both reached out, pointing to the magical ship at the same time.
"You two planned this?" Xenophilius raised an eyebrow. "Why both pick the ship?"
Luna beamed. "It just sounds more fun—you can see the world under the water."
Wyzett added, "When term starts, Luna will take the Hogwarts Express anyway."
Xenophilius scratched his head. "Wait a second… How do you always start and finish talking together? Alright, sweetheart, you go first!"
…
At last, he got his answer. "This afternoon, I'll head to Viking's Home to sign the contract. Then we can set off for real!"
"Wyzett, pack all the clothes you'll need. It might get chilly at night in Sweden. I don't have to help you, do I?"
"I'll take care of it, Mr. Lovegood, don't worry… What about the garden? Are you having someone look after it?"
"I've asked a friend to help. You two just enjoy yourselves!"
"Alright!"
…
After a brief nap, Wyzett rubbed his eyes, gathered up two notebooks and his old hand-drawn textbook, and padded quietly into the living room.
Luckily, he was light on his feet—Luna was fast asleep at the table in the downstairs lounge.
She was curled up like a kitten, pressed against the chair back, one cheek resting on her knee. Long lashes fluttered with every gentle breath.
Her pale gold hair tumbled around her, as if trying to hide the sketchbook she clutched to her chest.
She'd spent the morning by the stream catching fish, then drew in the living room at noon—no wonder she was tired.
Wyzett smiled and shook his head, planning to tiptoe out and let Luna sleep a while longer.
But before he could turn, Luna let out a soft, catlike whimper, rubbing her eyes as she sat up.
Her sketchbook slipped to the floor.
On its white pages was a tall, straight figure, the profile just visible—calmly wielding a wand, directing an array of knives to float in the air.
Judging by the scene, anyone might guess it showed a wizard summoning blades for battle.
The detail and feeling in the drawing caught Wyzett off guard. He stared, eyes wide with wonder…
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