Chapter 153: West Siblings Roaming Hogwarts (2/2)
”I guess you can say that,” he sighed before glancing at her, ”you can meet Luna right now. She's in the office.”
”Oh, my, isn't that lucky,” she smiled.
”Don't coddle her.”
”I won't.”
”Really?”
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- (Scene Break) -
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Finally, the siblings reached the AID office, and seeing the door, Lia read the plaque out loud, ”773H? What does that mean?”
”It's not a secret, but I can't tell you,” he smiled, ”anyone who wants the answer will have to find it on their own.”
Lia stared at the plaque and memorized the alpha-numerical wanting to solve it later.
Quinn turned the doorknob and opened the door to his office, entering inside while keeping the door open for Lia. ”Enter the place where problems get solved, and questions get answered.”
Lia stepped inside, and the office interior greeted her. Even just with a single look, she could tell that this was designed and built by Quinn. Everything inside the office exuded her brother's craftsmanship. Glancing at the top, she could see MLE attached to the ceiling. She realized that she stood in the birthplace of Quinn's inventions.
”You copied grandfather's desk,” she commented, tracing a finger over the table, ”same wood, color, and even the design is similar.”
”I always liked the table,” he smiled, ”when I got enough funds to get a new one, I bought the same wood and materials to build my own, though I did add my own touch and flair to it.”
”You said that Luna was inside, but I can't see her here,” asked Lia.
Quinn pointed at the red door in the glass wall. ”Luna! please come out; we have a guest.”
”What's inside there?”
”My workshop.”
The red door opened up slowly, and from inside stepped out barefoot. With her hair weirdly curly today, Luna looked at Quinn with a half dreamy-half sleepy look in her eyes.
”Guest?” she asked.
Quinn jutted his chin towards the size. Luna turned her eyes towards Lia and tilted her head. She hadn't seen the young woman in Hogwarts, and this confused her, but then, slowly, recognition dawned on her.
”Sister,” she said, stepping towards Lia, ”You're Quinn's sister, Lia.”
”I am,” replied Lia before asking, ”why is your hair like this?”
”Because of Quinn,” replied Luna.
When Lia looked at Quinn, he raised his hands: ”Again, I didn't do anything.” He turned to Luna and asked, ”What did I do?”
”The potion to grow hair without using Pechimin didn't work, and it poofed in my face,” she played with her hair, ”I tried it three more times, but it still didn't work, and with each time, my hair got more like this.”
He nodded and walked near her. Taking out her fake wand, Quinn performed magic to fix her hair, turning her hair back to normal.
”What did you use instead of Pechimin?” he asked.
”Livèche de Chagrin,” replied Luna
”That isn't going to work.” Lia chimed in. ”Livèche de Chagrin is too volatile. It won't work with human hair. Try using Bechiraway instead; it's much more gentle and has the advantage of being a great blending agent.”
Quinn smiled and lightly clapped. His sister was right on point. If Luna asked him for the answer, he would've given the same solution and reason.
Luna stood still for a moment before silently walking back the workshop to go brew another batch of potion.
”What happened?” asked Lia.
Quinn cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. ”I don't know if it's my fault, but ever since I started teaching her, whenever she gets an answer to the problems I give her, she drops everything and starts working on them. At times, she walks away mid-eating just so that she could try out a charm.”
Lia looked at Quinn and pointed out something. ”Why are you smiling?”
”Oh, it's nothing,” he laughed, ”her behavior at these moments makes me really proud... Wit beyond measure, the man's greatest treasure. Though Luna did get in trouble trying to get out of a Potions class because she thought she had the answer.”
”We should probably leave,” he continued, ”I don't want to disturb her while she is concentrating.”
”Already? But we just got here,” whined Lia.
”How about we go meet Madame Maxime. I'm sure she would be surprised to meet you.”
”Oh! That's a good idea! Let's go!”
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- (Scene Break) -
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The half-giant, Olympe Maxime, was sitting in one of the Hogwarts lawns. The Beauxbatons carriage was parked behind her. She picked up a very large teacup from the garden table beside her and took a sip while reading a French newspaper through thin-rimmed glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose.
Today was a rare free day for her. With the first task getting progressively closer, she had been swamped with work, so having a day without a full schedule felt great. She decided not to do anything and simply relax outside and catch up on what was going on in her homeland.
She allowed her students to roam the castle without her escorting them. All of her students, without fail, took the chance and ran away to explore the castle. After living on Hogwarts grounds, Maxime had decided that the school was safe enough for her students.
”The Ministry is adding unnecessary steps to their hiring process,” she sighed, ”Can't they see that if they keep doing this, it will get difficult for them to hire good candidates.”
”Isn't that great? This way, I will be able to get more people into my business.”
Maxime looked up from her newspaper to look at the person who commented, and her eyes widened comically.
”Lia?!” said the half-giantess, standing up from her chair.
”Good morning, Professor,” smiled her student, ”you look like you're enjoying your Saturday.”
”What are you doing here, child?”
”I had some business with my brother,” said Lia, and Maxime looked at the boy standing two steps behind his sister.
”Business?”
”Yes, I'm here regarding the quidditch tournament.”
”Ah, yes,” nodded Maxime, recalling her talk with Dumbledore, ”I didn't expect you two to come here. Isn't it just a simple school tournament?”
”Oh, no,” chuckled Lia, ”He has overdone it. The tournament is going to be something special.”
Just when the student and teacher were catching up, they heard a voice call out.
”Headmistress?”
Lia and Maxime turned their heads to see a silver blonde standing there looking at them.
”Oh!” smiled Maxime and beckoned the girl forward, ”Fleur, come here, you know Lia West. She has dropped by. Lia, this is our champion, Fleur Delacour.”
Lia West and Fleur Delacour met eyes, and Quinn, standing at a distance, sneezed lightly.
”Am I getting a cold?”
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Quinn West - MC - Something is off... I just can't tell what it is.
Lia West - Big sis - This place sure is big...
Tracey Davis - Rumour enthusiast - Wait, wait, wait, let's analyse this.
Daphne Greengrass - ... - *Nod* *Nod* *Nod*
Luna Lovegood - Student of Magic - The researcher inside her is growing.
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