"Luna, would you like something to eat?" Sitting on the bald eagle, Victor pulled out a two-pound chestnut chocolate cream cake, sliced a piece, and offered it to her.
"Thank you," Luna smiled and thanked him, then took a silver fork, scooped a bite of cake into her mouth, and savored the rich chestnut flavor.
Next, Victor brewed a pot of milk tea, just as the bald eagle flew over the Scottish coast and out into the boundless blue sea.
"It's really beautiful," Luna took a sip of milk tea, then suddenly turned her gaze to the distant horizon, her eyes unfocused.
Victor followed her gaze and couldn't help but nod in admiration, "Yes, it truly is beautiful. It makes you feel like the world should always be this pristine."
It was midday, the sky was clear, and brilliant sunlight shone upon the deep blue waves. The sea surface sparkled as if covered in shimmering crystals. Looking up, there wasn't a single white cloud in the sky. At the farthest point where the sea met the sky, the horizon was a seamless blend of blue, like two perfect pieces of brocade meticulously joined, with a boundless expanse of clear blue stretching out, radiating dazzling light.
"When I was very young, my mother once took me to the seaside. My feet were covered in gritty sand and seashells, and the scenery was as beautiful as it is now," Luna suddenly recalled something about her mother from long ago, but strangely, there was no hint of wistfulness or sadness in her eyes.
"Do you miss your mother very much?" Victor asked.
"Yes, I miss her quite a bit," Luna nodded, then slowly drifted into her memories. "My mother's name was Pandora, and just like her name, she was always curious and loved to conduct charm experiments."
"Dad used to try to persuade her, saying her experiments were too dangerous, but she would usually just smile and say, 'It's alright.'"
"It wasn't until three years ago that I saw Thestrals." As she spoke, she suddenly turned to smile and look at Victor, and it was then that Victor truly saw a hint of sorrow and sadness in her eyes.
Victor thought for a moment and then asked, "Luna, your mother must have been a very exceptional witch, wasn't she?"
"Why?" Luna tilted her head, a little confused. In her heart, her mother was a remarkable witch, but Victor had never met her, so how could he have come to that conclusion?
"Luna, you are excellent, unique, and very talented, otherwise you wouldn't have inherited the Ravenclaw Diadem," Victor said, smiling as he gently stroked her head. "I think that without your mother's excellence, there would never have been such an excellent you."
"Luna, remember this! Death is not the end of life; forgetting is. When a person is completely forgotten, that is when they truly die. So, as long as you continue to remember your mother, she will always live on in your heart."
Luna blinked when she heard Victor's words, then suddenly looked down in thought. After a moment, she took Victor's hand from her head and placed it in her own palm, slowly saying, "You're right. Mother has always lived by my side in another way. We both believe that one day, we will meet again."
Victor nodded with satisfaction when he heard Luna's words. He guessed that perhaps in those brief ten seconds, Luna had heard Pandora affectionately calling her name within her inner world…
The bald eagle flew quickly.
Two hours later, Victor and Luna finally arrived in Dublin, Ireland.
Dublin is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Ireland, located extremely close to the center of the eastern coast of Ireland, at the mouth of the River Liffey in Dublin County. It is Ireland's political, economic, cultural, tourist, and transportation hub, as well as its oldest city. Dublin enjoys a mild oceanic climate, characterized by warm winters, cool summers, and no extreme temperatures.
Victor and Luna walked along the main street, with cool breezes blowing around them, making them very comfortable.
Victor was holding an Irish satellite map, carefully trying to find clues related to the peat bogs. "Dor and lyn, soil and lake. Hogni only gave us these two words. Where should I even begin looking?"
Not to mention that after so many years, geological activity must have taken place, and the place that was called a peat bog in Slytherin's time might have completely transformed into something else by now. Perhaps a forest, farmland, a lake, or even a city and roads. In any case, it was impossible to rely solely on the map to find clues now, as that would be no different from a blind fly buzzing around.
"How interesting." Luna, who was leaning on Victor's shoulder and looking at the map, exclaimed, "How do they make maps so detailed? The lakes, forests, mountains, and towns are all so clear!"
"Well, how should I put it, this is thanks to something called a satellite. Simply put, it's like sending a huge camera high up into the sky and taking pictures." Victor explained, and then began to complain, "Honestly, the magical world and human technological civilization are truly out of sync. Those Muggle Studies textbooks that haven't been updated in over a hundred years should be swept into the dustbin!"
"Luna, I suggest you get more exposure to the Muggle world in the future. Broadening your horizons can make your mind clearer. Sticking to old ways often leads to self-destruction."
"That's right! It's my first time seeing so many cars and these tall buildings." Luna agreed with a smile, happily observing everything around her that exuded a modern vibe, completely different from the traditional and conservative style of the wizarding world. Then, she pointed her index finger and circled a spot on the right side of the map: "Legend says Slytherin came from the peat bogs of eastern Ireland. I think we can start looking in this area."
"We definitely need to start looking in this area, but the scope is still too broad," Victor said with a sigh, shaking his head and putting away the map. "The entire eastern half of Ireland has dozens of lakes, big and small, and peat bogs aren't like mountains or lakes. After more than a thousand years, who knows what changes have occurred. So, we must first find a clue that can lead us to the peat bog."
"Dor and lyn are ancient Celtic languages. Perhaps we can go to a library or a historical record keeping place to look," Luna suggested. "Are there places like that here?"
"Of course," Victor nodded. "Dublin has Ireland's largest museum…"
And so, having decided on their first destination, Victor and Luna first arrived at the National Museum of Ireland. This is Ireland's national comprehensive museum, primarily exhibiting ancient artifacts, artworks, gold items, early Christian metalwork, as well as specimens and materials related to zoology, botany, and geology.
Inside the museum, perhaps due to the holidays, there were many more visitors than usual. To prevent Luna, who wasn't very good at looking after herself, from getting lost, Victor held her hand the entire time.
Following the museum's signposts, the two quickly arrived at the antiquities section. Here, many of Ireland's most exquisite prehistoric gold ornaments were displayed. These were extremely rare artifacts, even by European standards. In addition, the display cases contained numerous precious Bronze Age necklaces, pins, gorgets, and more.
According to the information on ancient Celts that Victor had researched before their departure, over a thousand years ago, ancient Celts didn't have a clear concept of nations and primarily lived in tribes.
They believed in Druidism, and thus Druids held a very high position in Celtic tribal society, second only to the kings and tribal chiefs. Druids oversaw sacrificial activities, and they were also healers, sorcerers, diviners, poets, and historians for their respective tribes.
Druidism revered the oak tree as the sacred wood of their religion, which is why Druids were also called "Druid," meaning "wise ones of the oak tree," or "those who understand the essence of trees."
Furthermore, according to legend, Druids possessed the magic power to transform people into animals and communicate with gods, spirits, and animals. They could even predict the future by observing the flight patterns of birds or the appearance of sacrificial entrails.
Indeed, in reality, the Druids among the Celts were, in essence, wizards; their different titles were merely due to differences in civilization.
Victor and Luna wandered around, searching many display cases, but found nothing related to the Celts or Druids. Just as Victor was about to move to the next exhibition area with no clue, Luna suddenly pulled his hand.
"Luna, what's wrong?" Victor turned his head, puzzled.
"I've got it!" Luna blinked and said, "Perhaps we can try looking for oak wood. It's the sacred wood of Druidism. If Slytherin was also a Druid, perhaps he would have used it to make some items."
"Oak wood?" Victor frowned in thought, then shook his head, dismissing the suggestion. "While your idea has some merit, oak wood, despite its hardness, would still rot if consistently exposed to natural elements, unless it was submerged deep underwater."
"But Salazar Slytherin was a wizard!" Luna immediately offered a profound rebuttal.
"…Right!" Victor paused, then immediately understood.
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