Chapter 572: Luna’s Self-Awareness

Chapter 572: Chapter 572: Luna’s Self-Awareness

"Professor Zickrein, I... could I write to you over the holidays?" In Gerard’s dormitory, Hermione asked with hope written all over her face.

In truth, she had wanted to ask this question since the winter break. But before leaving Hogwarts at the end of last term, it had slipped her mind, and it had left her sulking through the entire holiday.

"I’m not fond of writing letters."

Hearing this, Hermione’s face fell as if she had lost everything dear to her, and her whole head drooped, but Gerard’s next sentence brought a sudden turn for the better. "However, you may call me on the telephone."

The telephone?

Hermione froze, completely taken aback. As a Muggle-born witch, she naturally knew what a telephone was. Compared with sending letters by owl, the telephone really was far more convenient and quick.

But the magical world had no signal towers or base stations, and no telephone lines either! How could anyone make a call?

As if he had seen right through her confusion, Gerard took a black rectangular object out of his desk drawer. "Here. This is a magic phone. Full signal bars built in, and it never needs charging."

"A phone?" Taking the rectangle, Hermione looked rather bewildered.

Phones did exist in this world; they just hadn’t fully caught on yet. Most of the so-called phones were still the old brick-shaped ones with antennas. What Gerard handed her was clearly modeled on a smartphone from a later era.

"Mm. It can make calls, send messages back and forth, and it can do video." Gerard gave a brief rundown of the magic phone’s functions. "The only thing is, none of the apps have been developed yet, so those won’t work for now."

Apps?

Hermione clearly didn’t understand this unfamiliar word, but she didn’t press further. For her, being able to call, message, and video-chat was already miraculous enough.

"Is this... something you made yourself, Professor Zickrein?"

"Mm-hm. I got the inspiration from the Muggle world. But I’m not planning to put it into circulation for the time being."

Gerard had built the thing only to practice applying the laws, not to make money. And putting it into circulation would bring all sorts of unnecessary hidden complications, so he had no intention of popularizing it in the magical world for now.

Got it, this needs to be kept secret! I mustn’t tell anyone!

Hermione pocketed the phone and drew a deep breath. Such an important piece of research, and Zickrein had told her about it without holding anything back. The little witch couldn’t help feeling that she was trusted, and it warmed her from head to toe.

"Once the new term starts, you’ll be able to visit the Tower of Paradise," Gerard said with a smile.

"Wonderful!" The little witch was so excited she nearly jumped out of her skin, her own hard work had gone into it, after all. "Right now I almost want the summer holidays to go by faster!"

"No rush. Holidays are meant for enjoying yourself." Gerard reached out and ruffled her fluffy little head, chuckling softly. "Of course, that doesn’t mean you can slack on your celestial magic training."

"Mm." Hermione blushed a little shyly, but she didn’t pull her head away.

"Off you go. You still have packing to do." Withdrawing his hand, Gerard said gently, "Get a good night’s sleep. You’ll need to be up early tomorrow."

"All right, Professor Zickrein. Thanks to you, I’ve had such a fulfilling year..." With those words, Hermione bowed deeply to Gerard before turning to leave.

She really was reluctant to go, but just as the young professor said, she did have plenty of luggage to pack. Besides, the Hogwarts Express would be departing first thing in the morning, and missing it would be a real hassle.

Not long after Hermione left his dormitory, Gerard’s figure vanished from where he stood.

The Forbidden Forest. The Tower of Paradise.

At the center of a faintly glowing magic circle, Gerard’s form abruptly appeared.

"How surprising. I thought you two would kiss goodbye." Luna’s voice rose from behind him, her airy tone thick with gossip-lust. "That’s not how it goes in the novels."

"Hermione is merely my student, same as you." The corner of Gerard’s mouth twitched discreetly, and he forced his expression blank. "Besides, the fluctuations from your clairvoyance magic are so strong that you’re terribly easy to see through."

Clairvoyance magic, in other words, was long-range surveillance magic.

Its principle was similar to a security camera, capable of detailed observation within a certain range. Unlike a camera, however, this magic needed no screen as its medium, or rather, the wizard’s own eyes were the medium.

"That doesn’t matter. My clairvoyance is only ever used on you," Luna said breezily.

"Luna, do you know what your behavior is called?" Gerard asked, his face going serious.

"A pervert? A stalker?"

"If you know that, then why do it?"

"Curiosity, of course, Professor Zickrein. If I weren’t curious about you, why on earth would I spy on you?"

"And if the roles were reversed, would you be willing to be spied on?"

Luna fell into thought, apparently genuinely considering the question. Only after a long while did she lift her head and answer, "If it were you, then I suppose I wouldn’t mind."

"Spare me. We’re not the same." Feeling he was about to lose his composure, Gerard promptly changed the subject. "Is everything prepared?" His gaze shifted toward Aura, standing off to the side.

The loyal house-elf had kept herself in low-presence mode the whole time Gerard and Luna were talking, without uttering a word. Only when her master called did she step quietly forward. "Yes, my master."

Snap.

With a snap of his fingers, balls of white light appeared one after another. Inside them were souls, glimmering brightly, each one frozen solid.

Among them were dark magic creatures, basilisks, vampires, werewolves, ghost hags, as well as dark wizards Aura had killed. Every one of them had been wicked to the core, guilty of the vilest crimes.

Gerard gave a slight nod and swept the wand in his hand with a gentle flick.

Hummm.

The evil souls seemed to be pulled by some strange force, gathering instantly at the center of the magic circle. In a flash, the circle burst forth with a flood of brilliant light. Like the gaping maw of an abyss, it swallowed every one of those orbs of light.

"Master, that Mr. Lupin is currently a guest at our house-elf settlement," Aura reported, bowing to Gerard.

She did not hide this from Luna, for in Aura’s eyes, this girl would unquestionably become one of her master’s future ladies. And that so-called visit was, in truth, house arrest in all but name.

"Ah, understood." Gerard gave a slight nod, his eyes moving to the round vessel facing the magic circle. It had been empty before, but now it was coated in layer upon layer of frost.

It looked crystalline, translucent, magnificent.

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