As Luke watched the lively Gryffindors chatting around him, he calmly retrieved the photos sent by his frog cub.
It had been months since he last thought about the frog cub he had raised for eleven years, and the sudden photos brought back memories.
The first photo depicted a dark basement. A slender figure in a red robe adorned with auspicious clouds pressed his hands against the ground, tracing intricate ninjutsu lines. Within the pattern, a person struggled against unseen forces, surrounded by swirling dust—a scene reminiscent of some dark ritual.
The other two photos were simpler: one showed the frog cub with a giant toad, and the other with a white snake, capturing moments with no particular significance.
It was the first photo that gave Luke pause. He vaguely recalled this ninjutsu, an S-rank forbidden technique known for summoning souls from the Pure Land—a blasphemous act against the dead.
But did such a Pure Land exist in this world too?
Luke knew of the legends here, like the Deathly Hallows—the Invisibility Cloak and Dumbledore's Elder Wand—which hinted at the existence of death as a tangible force.
If death existed, so must places for souls to reside.
Shaking his head at these thoughts, Luke chided himself for overthinking. Perhaps the frog cub didn't intend to delve into such profound matters with these photos.
Glancing at the date in the corner, he realized the photos had arrived two nights earlier.
"What are you looking at?" Hermione's melodious voice interrupted his thoughts as she leaned on his shoulder, peering at the photo in his hand with her warm brown eyes.
"Isn't this your frog cub?" she asked, recalling their second meeting on the train when Luke had the cute green frog perched on his head.
"I haven't seen it since then," she added thoughtfully.
"It went on a trip, sent me some pictures, and now it's back," Luke explained with a smile.
Luke received the first photo into the Shenwei space and then handed Hermione the next two group photos to look at.
"Can your frog cub really travel?" Hermione blinked in surprise, her eyes shining with curiosity.
She had initially thought Luke's talk about Frog Cub on the train was a jest, but now, seeing the photos, she was genuinely amazed.
"Is there really such a big toad in the world? And that smart, delicate little white snake looks so cute, not scary at all," Hermione remarked, her amazement evident.
"It travels quite a bit. I've seen it a few times over the past year," Luke replied casually, shrugging. "Back when I didn't attend Hogwarts, Frog Cub would keep me company at home. But since coming here, I haven't seen it much. Sending back these photos reminds me."
He glanced at the adorable white snake resting on his shoulder, leaning closer to Hermione with a gentle touch on her cheek.
"There are still people around," Hermione whispered, embarrassed, cheeks flushing crimson as she wiped her cheek with her hand. "We didn't see anything!"
Fred and George quickly nodded in agreement at Hermione's words.
"Then shall we find a place with no one around?" Luke ignored the teasing from the twins, taking Hermione's hand and leading her away from the table.
"I owe you for last night," he chuckled softly as they walked across the Hogwarts Great Hall.
"I... I want to go to the library!" Hermione interjected quickly, changing the subject with a guilty conscience. The thought of going on a date with Luke today was overwhelming. She knew she'd be blushing and breathless all day.
"The library?" Luke looked at Hermione beside him with his piercing blue eyes.
"I suppose Mrs. Pince wouldn't notice if we find a quiet corner," Hermione said, more as a statement than a suggestion. She realized she couldn't escape today.
"Let's go boating on the Black Lake," Luke suggested playfully.
"Do you really need to breathe?" Hermione teased, pinching the tip of Luke's nose with a hint of amusement.
Luke relaxed on the boat, enjoying the calmness of the moment as he gazed at the blue sky.
After a moment's hesitation, Hermione joined him, lying down beside him on the swaying boat. They watched owls soaring in the sky, clouds drifting by, and occasionally caught sight of Thestrals gliding gracefully.
"What do you think Thestrals look like?" Hermione asked softly, breaking the serene silence between them.
Hermione gently touched Luke's handsome cheek, murmuring softly.
"Like a Pegasus, but with bat-like wings and pitch black," Luke replied, his voice tinged with a hint of mystery. "Trust me, you wouldn't want to see Thestrals."
"Yes..." Hermione's brown eyes reflected uncertainty, unsure what to make of Luke's cryptic response.
Over the next couple of days, life returned to normal with regular classes. The legend of the basilisk had somewhat faded amidst other concerns, except for Harry, who remained fixated on uncovering more about the creature. He was certain he had heard the basilisk speak.
Meanwhile, Lockhart had once again found himself in the pages of the Daily Prophet, boasting about the enchanted rings crafted by Luke under his guidance. He shamelessly proclaimed Luke to be one of his most accomplished students, much to Luke's annoyance at the unwanted attention.
"I really don't need this kind of publicity," Luke muttered, too preoccupied with awaiting the return of his traveling frog cub.
That evening was supposed to mark the frog cub's return, so Luke skipped accompanying Hermione to the Room of Requirement. Upon reaching his dormitory, he swiftly locked the door.
However, Malfoy and Crabbe, subjected to various experiments by Luke throughout the semester, appeared to him in an illusion.
"Croak!"
Luke whipped around at the unmistakable sound of his frog cub's loud croak, spotting the creature setting down a sizable bag before leaping towards him.
"Such a long journey for you!" Luke exclaimed, embracing his frog cub and gently stroking its head.
"Let's see what treasures you've brought back!" he said eagerly as he opened the cylindrical bag. Among the items revealed was a scroll inscribed with unusual script, reminiscent of traditional Chinese characters, causing Luke to squint at it in curiosity.
"The Earth Release Resurrection Technique: Corpse Soil?" he murmured aloud, intrigued by the mysterious contents.
.....
Join my exclusive P@treon community for 60+ thrilling chapters!
Free members get two or more advanced chapters for FREE.
Don't miss out, join now!
Link: pa*treon.com/MidnightWonder (Remove the *)