"What do you think of The Quibbler?" Luna asked curiously.
"It's... an interesting way to pass the time." Nolan replied flatly. "It's filled with unrealistic fantasies. If I hadn't met Mr. Lovegood in person, I would have thought its editor was an underage wizard with too much imagination."
Luna's silver eyes sparkled. "Daddy says there will always be a little boy in his heart who never grows up." She smiled dreamily. "I think even when he's eighty or ninety, he'll still be young—just like he's been drinking the Elves' Fountain of Eternal Youth."
"There's no such thing as an Elves' Fountain of Eternal Youth, Miss Lovegood."
"There is!" Luna frowned. "Daddy said so! How else do you explain why elves never grow old?"
"Because they're a long-lived species." Nolan sighed.
Luna remained stubborn. "But how did they become long-lived? I believe they drank from that fountain."
Nolan smirked. "Well, if you ever find this marvelous fountain, be sure to bring some back for your father. I'm sure he'd be thrilled. Then not just his heart, but his entire body could stay young forever."
Luna fell silent for a moment, as if genuinely contemplating what her father would look like if he suddenly became younger.
They walked a little further before Luna spoke again. "You were mocking me, weren't you?"
Nolan shrugged.
Luna didn't seem offended. "I don't mind being mocked. I'm used to it." She spoke with complete indifference. "But one day, I'll prove I'm right. The Crumple-Horned Snorkack exists, and so does the Elves' Fountain. I'll go to Ireland and find them both."
Nolan turned to Ginny. "Is she always like this?"
Ginny avoided his gaze, murmuring, "Luna's a little... um, eccentric. But she's a good person."
"That much is obvious." Nolan muttered, unimpressed. This stubborn, spacey girl had certainly made an impression on him—but not a good one.
Then his gaze flickered to Ginny. "You're from the Weasley family, aren't you?"
Ginny blinked in surprise. "How did you know?"
Nolan pointed at her red hair. "If I said your hair color is exactly like the twins', would you be offended?"
Ginny let out a small laugh. "Oh no, everyone says that. All of us siblings have the same hair..." She nervously twirled the ends of her ponytail between her fingers before hesitantly asking, "Do you know Fred and George?"
"There's not a single person at Hogwarts who doesn't know them." Nolan sighed, his tone filled with exasperation. "From the moment they stepped into that castle, they carved their names into Hogwarts history. Honestly, one day they might outshine even the headmasters. Because while you can always find another wizard as great as Dumbledore, you'll never find another set of pranksters quite like them."
Ginny's eyes widened, her face turning slightly red with embarrassment. She covered her face with her hands. "I'm telling Mum what you just said. She's always so interested in Fred and George's school life—she'll be thrilled to hear your opinion."
"I don't know if she'll be thrilled, but she'll definitely be shocked." Nolan smirked. "But out of all your brothers, I actually like the twins the most. They're decent classmates. We're in the same year."
Ginny brightened. "Oh! Then you must be in Gryffindor too!"
"No, I'm in Slytherin."
Ginny froze. An awkward silence stretched between them. She immediately regretted asking that question.
Nolan, however, seemed unfazed. "Well, this is where I take my leave, ladies." He inclined his head slightly. "Perhaps I'll see you both at Hogwarts this year."
Luna stood completely still, as if she hadn't heard a word he said.
Ginny, on the other hand, quickly spoke up. "Wait! Would you like to meet my brothers? They're playing Quidditch over there in the clearing. Harry's with them! Do you know Harry?"
Nolan raised an eyebrow. "The Boy Who Lived? Of course." He shrugged. "I'm surprised his beloved aunt and uncle actually let him spend the summer here."
Ginny winced. "Oh... well..." She hesitated, before mumbling, "Fred and George used... um, alternative methods to make that happen."
"Smuggling?" Nolan raised an eyebrow, his tone calm and indifferent. "That does sound like something they'd do. But your brothers should learn to be more discreet. If they cause trouble outside Hogwarts, no one will cut them slack just because they're young. And you can't expect Dumbledore to protect every student—he's a busy man."
Ginny sighed. "If only they actually listened to advice..." Then she looked up hopefully. "So, do you want to come meet them?"
Nolan tucked his wand away. "Lead the way."
Ginny had been telling the truth—three redheads and the Boy Who Lived were indeed playing Quidditch.
Since they couldn't risk flying too high, they hovered about ten meters off the ground, zipping around on their broomsticks as they fought over a Muggle rugby ball.
Nolan frowned. "Why are they using a rugby ball?"
Ginny flushed, dropping her gaze. She wasn't about to tell this handsome Slytherin she'd just met that her family couldn't even afford a proper Quaffle.
"Look who it is!" One of the twins shouted.
"The genius of Hogwarts!" The other called.
"The little prince of Slytherin!"
"The heartthrob of every young witch!"
"The reason Angelina rejected Fred!"
"Hey!" One of them—probably Fred—yelled indignantly. "Angelina did not reject me! She just didn't want to sneak into Hogsmeade through a secret passage! This year, we can go there legally, and I will get her to say yes!"
Nolan smirked. "Angelina? That's an... interesting choice, Fred."
"Oi! Don't talk about Angelina like that, you git—she's a charming lady!"
Fred swooped down, landing in front of Nolan, and playfully punched his shoulder. "So what brings you here, mate? You visiting the Burrow?"
"The Burrow?"
"Our house!" The other twin—presumably George—landed as well, slinging an arm around Nolan's shoulders. "Maybe this year, we should tag along with you to Hogsmeade. That way, the girls will be all over us."
"Angelina Johnson—"
"Alicia Spinnet—"
"Katie Bell—"
"Camille Smith—"
"And don't forget Laura Cook!"
Nolan raised an eyebrow. "I thought you two weren't interested in Slytherin girls?"
"Hey! Slytherin is Slytherin, but that doesn't make them any less pretty!" One of the twins grinned. "Although you did steal the two best-looking ones in our year, the rest aren't too shabby!"
"We're at that age now, mate," the other said sagely. "Bill told us that most Hogwarts students have their first romance in third year. And now that we can go to Hogsmeade, all we have to do is get a girl to agree to a date there, and bam—mission accomplished!"
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