Vizet successfully completed the discharge procedures and claimed his new identity—a member of the Lovegood family.
This was the "family" Luna had mentioned.
Luna lived in the village of Ottery St. Catchpole, a semi-wizard settlement.
A semi-wizard settlement is a place where wizards and Muggles live together. Wizards, however, must restrain themselves from performing magic in front of Muggles to avoid violating the Statute of Secrecy.
Perhaps for this reason, Luna rarely visited the Muggle areas of the village, spending most of her time at home.
Even Luna wasn't entirely clear about the specifics of the Statute of Secrecy. She only knew that after starting her studies at Hogwarts, she would learn about it in her History of Magic classes.
In addition, Luna possessed a great deal of common knowledge about the magical world — exactly what Vizet needed.
Undoubtedly, Vizet was a good listener.
After a few days together, Luna felt comfortable sharing everything with him.
Luna's home was a black castle near the village, shaped like a cylinder, resembling a rook on a chessboard.
Outside the castle, a lush garden flourished, filled with various unusual magical plants.
This garden was Luna's cherished playground. Like a fluttering butterfly, she spent her days collecting dew, loosening the soil, watering, fertilizing, and playing joyfully among the plants.
She had many companions, but her favorite was an owl.
When Vizet first moved in, Luna introduced him to the owl. "Her name is Diana. She's an excellent postman!"
"Postman? Do wizards use owls to deliver mail?" Vizet asked, intrigued.
Luna stroked Diana's fluffy feathers. "Yes. Whether it's letters or parcels, Diana can help deliver them."
Using owls to communicate and send packages was common practice in the wizarding world, carrying a sense of unique wizarding romance.
Aside from the palm-sized owl, the most active creatures in the garden were gnomes.
Gnomes are small magical creatures that resemble potatoes with legs.
Luna had a good relationship with the gnomes. Whenever she worked in the garden, they would emerge from their burrows to help her dig the soil.
However, the gnomes were only friendly to Luna. Their attitude toward Vizet was less than welcoming — they even bit his fingers.
Luna carefully bandaged his wounds, remarking lightly, "Dad says the gnomes in the garden are a blessing."
"If you feel a talent emerging today, don't suppress it. It's the gnomes' blessing!"
Still adjusting to life in the magical world, Vizet chose to trust Luna's words, as she had grown up in a wizarding family.
Surprisingly, he did feel something awakening within him—
In his mind, A Wizard's Practical Guide turned to the second page, revealing new content:
Primordial Magic: Shield
Through meditation and hand gestures... Condense the power of primordial magic to create a protective barrier...
This was a form of magic that did not require the use of a wand.
------------------------------
Luna once told Vizet that wizards typically need a wand to cast spells.
If Vizet wanted to get a wand, he would need an admission letter from Hogwarts.
Although Dumbledore had assured him that he must attend Hogwarts to study, nearly half a month had passed, and the promised letter had yet to arrive.
Vizet was thrilled to learn magic from A Wizard's Practical Guide — especially magic that didn't require a wand.
He left the garden, went to a nearby stream, and began practicing the new magic.
The first step was to master the gestures required for the spell.
He started by placing his hands together, performing a sequence of movements resembling seals, and then spreading his hands apart, forming a circle with his index fingers and thumbs touching.
The gestures themselves weren't overly complicated, and after a few attempts, Vizet committed them to memory.
However, practicing the gestures was only the beginning. He also needed to guide the ancient magic and channel it into the gestures.
This step proved far more challenging. Each contact between his hands caused a clash of power.
His hands repelled one another like opposing magnets, making the required gestures difficult to complete.
"Is it because my power comes from the Obscurus? Maybe I should try meditation," Vizet thought.
As a student, Vizet was good at analyzing problems and finding solutions.
By entering the state of Guardian Meditation, his surroundings became clearer, and the process of channeling power grew smoother.
When he completed the final gesture, a ball of silver-blue ancient magic appeared, forming between his hands.
But then —
The ball of light vanished, and the power returned to his body.
According to A Wizard's Practical Guide, once the steps were complete, the magic should spread outward to form a protective barrier.
For Vizet, however, the power consistently reverted to his body, indicating that the spell wasn't successfully cast.
Still, the appearance of the light ball was enough to inspire him to continue practicing.
Over and over, he refined his gestures, achieving smooth execution, yet he was unable to complete the final step.
Each time, just as the ball of light began to spread, the power would flow back into his body.
After repeated practice, Vizet felt as though something essential was missing from the casting process.
"Vizet, are you practicing magic?"
Luna's soft voice interrupted his thoughts.
Diana, the owl perched on Luna's shoulder, had her eyes half-closed, as though she were dozing.
"It doesn't look like a normal spell wizards cast. Can I watch you try again?"
"Of course," Vizet replied. He maintained his meditative state, seamlessly combining gestures and power.
But as before, at the critical moment, the power failed to transform into a barrier.
"Perhaps you need a strong wish?" Luna suggested, tilting her head. "I once read in an ancient notebook about a wizard's experiences with spellcasting."
"The wizard who wrote the notebook mentioned that when casting a spell, a wizard needs a wish — a strong intent. It makes the magic more compliant, like Diana here."
"A notebook like that exists?" Vizet asked, curious. "Do you still have it? Can I borrow it?"
"It's gone," Luna said, shaking her head gently. Her voice became more grounded. "Something happened, and many of the notes were lost."
"Something happened? If it was damaged can't you use magic repair it?" Vizet asked, thinking of the repair spell he'd read about, which could even restore a damaged house.
Luna shook her head again. "It was a magical accident. My mother... she loved conducting experiments. One of her spells went wrong."
"I was there when it happened. The spell was incredibly powerful. My mother disappeared... and so did the notes."
Vizet looked at Luna, his heart heavy. He murmured, "I'm sorry... I didn't know..."
He had known Luna's mother was gone but hadn't realized Luna had witnessed the event.
"It's really a sad thing," Luna said, her voice lightening once more.
"But I still have family. It's not as though I'll never see my mother again. There will be opportunities in the future, right?"
Vizet finally understood why Luna had spoken so earnestly about family when they were at St. Mungo's.
"Coo!"
Diana stirred on Luna's shoulder, flapping her wings and hooting.
The previously calm stream suddenly surged, splashing water all over Vizet and Luna.